Big Sister
by JeffersonianGirl2004
Summary: When Richard Castle's daughter, Alexis, meets an NYPD traffic cop called Katherine Beckett he's at ease. Kate seems to be happy and bubbly but soon Rick learns of the broken young woman that is hidden behind the gun and facade. Will he and his fiery redhead be able to give her the love that she deserves and with their shared glances ever mean anything? AU Meeting, young Alexis.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_Okay so this is my brand new story. I've fallen in love with the concept of Kate with young Alexis after reading some Fanfics and I thought I'd write my own. I hope everyone enjoys this story which I have been enjoying writing._

_Oh and best of luck for Stana in her married life, hope she's has a long and happy marriage with her new hubby :)_

_Enjoy!_

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_Walking through a crowd, the village is aglow_

_Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats_

_Everybody here wanted something more_

_Searching for a sound we hadn't heard before_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

"Hey Lex just wait here," Richard Castle, author and ruggedly handsome dad began as he pointed toward a small green kiddie chair beside a bookshelf of children's books. The doting dad had just launched his latest book and today was the day of the first official book signing. He had originally planned on having his signing at a big chain bookstore but when his old friend, Tim, from boarding school had come to him claiming that his bookstore was on its last legs he decided that the best way to stop his friend's store from going under was to have his signing there. It was a little bookstore located in central Manhattan situated right next to the local library. Pretty poor location if you asked him.

"Yes daddy I have a enough books to keep me busy for ever and ever." The young redhead announced as she waved her arms back and forth motioning toward a blue book bag that was filled with books that the father and daughter had just borrowed from the library. Alexis promised to keep herself busy while her father signed books and Tim had given her permission to sit in the children's reading corner so she'd be away from all the fuss.

Rick smiled and hugged his little girl to his chest before covering the top of her head in kisses. "Thanks for agreeing to do this sweetheart."

"Anything daddy and I'd rather be here then with a baby sitter." Alexis screwed up her face just briefly before letting her smile fill the room once again.

Her father chuckled softly before hugging her one last time. "Well that's good to hear, I better go though sweetie, people are already queuing up for me to sign their books."

Castle let his daughter go and quickly hurried off toward the other side of the shop. After waving a quick goodbye the young girl picked up her first picture book and began reading aloud. She moved through the pages swiftly only taking longer when she would attempt to sound out a new word. As she approached the end of the book she realised that she had forgotten to get something. Leaning over she began to dig through the book bag in search for her favourite toy – a monkey – named Monkey Bunkey. She had gotten him from her daddy when she was first born, he claimed that he was out when her mommy fell into labour and that he hurried into a newsagency to grab Monkey Bunkey before meeting her at the hospital. After removing a stack of picture books she came to the bottom of the bag without success. Unless her monkey had magic powers and had disappeared he was most definitely missing. Instead of worrying she remained calm thinking back to where she last had Monkey Bunkey. Remembering clearly that it was in the library she placed her books back in the bag and began hurrying toward the front door of the bookshop on a mission. As peered back toward her father she saw that he was busy signing a book so instead of disturbing him she just slipped out unnoticed. The library was right next-door; she would be back within a matter of minutes.

The small redhead hurried along the path toward the library. She paused at the traffic lights just as her dad had taught her and after looking left then right she crossed the road. Her small feet took her straight through the automatic doors at the front of the library and she began moving quickly as the ground changed from pavement to carpet. Silently she began on her way to the tables that were situated between adult books and children's books. Her eyes, like beacons guiding a ship to shore, searched the tables for her furry friend. Her blue eyes finally met with the small monkey and relief flooded throughout her. As she walked closer to her friend's location she spotted that he wasn't alone at the table. Sitting on a chair, previously obscured by a bookshelf, was a young woman. She was tall with her long light brown hair tied into a ponytail and her sharp green eyes were burning into the pages of a book. She was dressed in a deep blue, almost navy uniform, and a hat was perched atop her head. Puzzled for what to do Alexis hung back for a moment. Her daddy had told her never ever to talk to strangers. This lady was a stranger wasn't she? Looking over her again she noticed a badge clipped onto her belt just above her hips. She had seen this badge before; it was a police badge. Her father had told her that police were here to help so after a moment of consideration she hurried toward the girl. As she approached her side she began talking quickly.

"Hi my name is Alexis Castle and my daddy said I could talk to police and that's my monkey over there and I want him back." She knew that her reception teacher would scold her for the use of 'and' so many times in a sentence but that didn't seem to matter.

The tall policewoman looked up from her book at Alexis. A small smile crept across her lips as she reached for the monkey. As she passed him to the young red head she began to speak, "He's a pretty cute little guy you have," she laughed as she patted the soft toy on the head, "What's his name?"

Alexis, eager to receive the attention, nodded quickly "His name is Monkey Bunkey because Bunkey rhymes with monkey," she paused for a moment, "what's yours?"

The young woman tilted her head to the side, "I'm Kate and I used to a have a teddy a bit like Monkey Bunkey when I was your age."

Engrossed in Kate's story Alexis sat herself down on one of the library chairs, "What was his name? Oh and Kate is a very pretty name."

Smiling a bit wider now, which was something she hadn't done in years; Kate continued to speak. "His name was Ruffles."

"Where's Ruffles now?"

Shuddering at the thought of her old furry friends location she answered the young girl's question. "He's at my dad's house." She paused and before giving Alexis enough time to answer she changed the subject. "So where's your mom? Is she looking for you?"

Alexis shook her head quickly, "I don't know, she's gone and my daddy won't really tell me where. I heard daddy say something about another man before she moved away."

Immediately the young traffic cop sympathized with the small girl, neither of them had mothers, "So is your daddy here?"

Moving her hand in a carefree swipe she pointed toward the bookshop, "He's just in the bookshop, I hurried back here to find Monkey Bunkey." Alexis stops talking and kisses her monkey on the head before looking back at Kate.

The detective nodded, "Well shouldn't you go and tell him that you're okay, we wouldn't want him to be worried."

Nodding slowly Alexis was agreeing with Kate. She looked toward the door and just as her eyes met the bookshop she saw her dad. He was hurrying toward the library. "He's coming why don't you stay and meet him?"

Kate was about to agree when a loud buzzing was emitted from a small walkie-talkie like object strapped to her shoulder. Alexis listened in and caught a grainy sounding voice reading out some numbers and saying something about a car and an infringement. Confused at what a uniform infringement, like the ones her teacher gave at school, could have to do with her police woman friend she began to ask a question but Kate was already standing up.

The cop talked quickly into the walkie-talkie before scooping up her novel and tucking it under her arm. "I've gotta go, maybe I'll see you around and I think I can see your dad." She said pointing toward the still blurry outline of her father crossing the street.

Alexis looked up at Kate with a smile. "Yeah I'll see you sometime around too maybe Kate." Alexis let her small arms envelope the young woman's uniform clad body. Surprised at the hug Kate let a single arm wrap around the redhead's shoulders before the small body pulled away.

Alexis watched as Kate began walking toward another entrance, different to the one that her daddy was coming through, and waved one last time. The policewoman didn't see her though and Alexis felt a pang of sadness deep in the pit of her small stomach.

X-X-X-X

Richard Castle began running at record speed toward his young daughter. Relief and annoyance flooded throughout him as he saw her standing beside a table waving toward another entrance. Confused at who she was waving at he approached her and looked at her sternly.

Alexis knew this look meant she was in trouble; she had last gotten this look when she had painted her daddy's toenails while he had been sleeping. She watched as her daddy as he shook his head slowly and began to talk.

"Lex what did you think you were doing? One minute you were there reading and the next you were gone. I looked all through the bookshop for you before hearing one of the people that were coming for a book-signing claim that a red head had crossed the street to the library. You could have been hurt, kidnapped, run over by a car, mugged. Sweetie this is New York and it's not safe for you to go wandering. Why did you go to the library anyway? Have you already run out of books?"

Alexis shook her head quickly at her father before filling him in on the details. "Daddy I was reading one of my books when I realised that I hadn't got Monkey Bunkey out of the book bag so I was thinking about the last place I had him and that was the library. I left the bookshop and crossed the street at a red light checking left and right before running in. I saw that at the table with my monkey was a lady so I approached her…"

"You know I told you not to talk to strangers Lex?" Rick cut in off in an almost scolding tone.

Alexis nodded, "Yeah daddy but she wasn't a stranger she was a police woman and you said it was okay to talk to police. So anyway I went up and asked for my monkey and she said he was really cute and that her name was Kate. We started to talk and I sort of forgot at the you might have been worried but I'm all okay and I don't think Kate would kidnap me."

Castle smiled at his daughter, she was always so logical. "Well sweetie next time you should come and get me before going anywhere by yourself."

"But daddy you were busy and it was an emergency. Monkey Bunkey was in trouble."

Rick Castle just shook his head. "Maybe you should tell him to be more careful. Monkey Bunkey don't run away again!" Castle held his pointer finger out sternly as though he was a schoolteacher scolding a child not a writer scolding a toy.

Alexis giggled at her father as she held the monkey close to her chest. "Daddy you're silly."

Castle tilted his head to the side as he let his arms envelope the small girl. "Don't ever do anything like that again Lex."

The small head nodded as she nuzzled her face into his shirt. "Okay daddy, I promise."

Rick scooped up the small girl and propped her atop his shoulders. They were about to get back to the bookshop to help clean up after the signing, which had been cut short. He planned on rescheduling just because the owner was his friend but he was to think about that later. He glanced across the sea of tables in the library just to check that Alexis hadn't left anything behind. His blue eyes suddenly settled on a mobile phone that was lying atop the table, which his daughter and that cop woman had been sitting at just before.

"Lex was that phone there when you were talking to that police woman before?" He settled his daughter on the ground and pointed.

She nodded letting her little red piggy tails bounce about with her head, "Yeah that was Kate's phone, I saw her looking at it before."

Richard paced over toward the table and scooped up the phone. Pressing lightly on the home button a picture filled the screen. It was a photo of a pair of women standing before an elephant. It looked like it had been taken on Thailand on a holiday or something. He showed the picture to his daughter. "Does either of these women look like that Kate girl?"

Alexis nodded and pointed with her little finger at the girl standing on the left. She couldn't have been much older then fifteen when the picture was taken and she was dressed in a leather jacket with leather pants. Thick black eye makeup surrounded her vibrant green eyes. The longer he continued to stare at the photo the more he wanted to give the phone back. He turned the little device off and turned to face his daughter. "Lex we are officially on a mission," he was greeted by a puzzled look from his daughter, "we have to track down this Kate girl and give her her phone back."

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_AN: Okay so chapter one down, many to go._

**_UP NEXT: Castle and his little fiery redhead search for the owner of the mobile._**

_Reviews are inspiring and I hope to get a few before my next update. I love all of your feedback and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter._


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I don't own anything to do with Castle beside the DVD's, a phone case and a home made copy of Castle Monopoly :)_

_OH. MY. GOD. THANK YOU! Thank you everyone that has faved, followed and reviewed. In a year on fan fiction I have never had such a response to any story that I have written. 71 followers on 1 chapter, how is that even possible? The Castle fandom really is the nicest one in the world! Thank you again and please take this chapter as a reward for your niceness._

_FYI: Updates will be normally on Wednesdays but this is just a little reward!_

_So I hope you enjoy!_

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_It's too cold outside,_

_For Angel's to fly..._

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**CHAPTER 2**

"Okay so first things first we need to crack this code and get into this phone. Only then can we find a number that we can use to ring her."

The duo had once again found themselves seated at the library table. Alexis was lent over with her chin held up on one hand watching as her father plotted. She was used to this considering that he was always talking about his latest mystery novels with her and her gram.

Her father tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop before he turned to his daughter. "So you've talked to her, do you have any idea what four letter number she'd use as a code?"

The red head shrugged and let her mind wander. What would she use as a code? An age? A date? Oh a birthday. Sitting up straight she smiled at her father. "Maybe dad she used her birthday or something. She looked at least twenty-one or twenty-two if you'd like to know."

Richard Castle returned the child's smile. "So that is the best theory, how did my daughter turn into such a little genius?" He paused for a second to think he let his mind work as a calculator. "…1978 or 1979" he let his fingers do the talking as he keyed in the latter. The phone vibrated angrily and deleted the four numbers as it glared back at him. He chuckled to himself and keyed in the first year. The phone accepted him and he smiled. Step one of the master plan complete.

"Can I see, can I see?" Alexis' tone grew louder as she peered over her father's shoulders in order to try and catch a glimpse of Kate's phone.

"Shhh," Castle let a finger rise to his lips impersonating a librarian from an old movie before moving the phone into his child's line of sight. The author slid through the pages and eventually settled on her woman's contacts. Clicking in he was met with a surprising lack of numbers. Most twenty-one year old women would have heaps of friends but this girl had next to none. A Jim Beckett 'dad' was the first on the list, followed by a few NYPD contacts and then a Lanie Parish. Tapping on Jim Beckett he signalled silence from the girl as he listened to the dial tone ringing in the phone. After a few minutes of continuous beeps he was met with a message bank. After the bleep sounded he spoke quickly into the receiver.

"Hi my name's Richard and I've found your daughter's phone in a public library. Could you please ring me back on the number which I will text you and we'll organise something from there."

He pressed the end call button and quickly texted his number to Kate's father. "Well what do you think, should we text another number just for good measure?"

Alexis crumpled her face, "Dad why don't we just wait for her daddy to reply instead of telling the world."

Castle smiled, "Yeah I agree, that sou…"

The writer was cut off mid sentence by a loud ringtone that blared from the phone's tiny speakers. He dropped it against the table and was met by angry glances from the library's other occupants. Feeling a touch sheepish he slid across the answer bar and held the phone to his ear waiting for a voice to travel through.

"Whoever you are I want you to put my phone down exactly where you found it and tell me where it is. I am with the NYPD and if you don't do as I say serious charges may follow…" The voice cut down the line and rippled through Castle's system.

Alexis' eyes lit up, she sat up straighter then she had all day and she grabbed the phone eagerly from her father's hands. "Kate it's you!" The little girl announced into the receiver.

Castle listened in from beside his daughter and heard that the cop's voice suddenly became a few notches softer. "Alexis? What are you doing with my cell phone?"

"Well you hurried away when your walkie talkie beeped and you forgot all about your phone. My daddy and I found it and we had to crack the code in order to get in and ring your daddy to tell him that we found your phone."

"Did you just say you rung my dad?" The detective's voice became hoarse and somewhat distant.

"Yeah, why is that bad or something?" Alexis and her father were equally confused as they listened into the cell, which was now on speakerphone.

Pausing as though she was contemplating what to say Kate became silent, "Well he's busy so he probably wouldn't be able to pick up." Her answer became rushed almost as though she was lying.

"Okay that's good!" Now Alexis' tone was back to the stereotypical candy rainbow type voice.

Richard could picture a smile coming from the other end of the line as he heard the lady comment yet again on the cuteness of his daughter's monkey before asking for Alexis to pass the phone over to her dad. Richard took the phone and held it to his ear. "Yeah it's her dad here," he reassured the detective quickly as he waited for her response.

"Well I'm Kate and I'm pretty sure you have a lovely little girl there," she began speaking slowly in an almost sultry New York drawl, "I was wondering where we could meet so I could pick up my cell, it's pretty important that I get it back for work and all."

Rick liked the woman's voice and immediately he craved to see what she looked like. "Well maybe we could meet up at that little ice cream place on the same street as this library."

He heard the cop chuckle into the phone, "As long as it's okay with Alexis."

"I'll ask her now," Castle paused as he looked toward his daughter. "Lex you want to go meet Kate at the ice cream shop just down the street so we can give her phone back?"

The girl smiled and gave her dad a silent thumbs up. "Yeah she's okay with that," Castle let his lips curve upwards as the policewoman said a quick goodbye. After hanging up the phone he tucked it into his jacket pocket before grabbing his daughter by the hand.

"Come on Lex, part three of the operation: Returning the phone."

X-X-X-X

Alexis skipped along just before her father as she hurried into the nearby ice cream shop. This was one of those new places that sold special Italian Gelato and she always went there with her daddy after school on Fridays. She'd only been yesterday but she didn't mind considering that she really wanted to try some new flavours. She peered over her shoulder checking that her daddy was still following before hurrying into the ice creamery. She scanned her eyes over the room and let them fall on Kate. She turned around to face her father quickly and let her arm move forward to point. "That's her daddy."

Castle followed her arm with his eyes and let them settle on the policewoman who was supposably Kate. She had long light brown hair scooped into a high ponytail. She was dressed in a police uniform; maybe one of a traffic cop, and the blue material covering every inch of her didn't hide her long toned legs and perfect curves. Rick let his eyes meet with the piercing green ones of the young woman.

He began walking closer but his child had already outrun him and had seated herself right beside Kate. Kate didn't look like the type that loved children but his little fiery red head seemed to have already imprinted on her. Rick approached and pulled out a chair. As he cleared his throat he saw that his baby was hugging this woman. Usually he'd be furious and very worried if his child was hanging about with strangers but something about this lady and the almost lost vacant look in her eyes made it seem that she would never do anything to hurt his child.

Katherine looked up at Rick and as her eyes scanned over him they seemed to widen as though she had seen him before. "A…Are you Richard Castle?" She stammered over her words.

Usually his playboy persona would come on by now in order to try and impress, if not seduce, the fan but today it was different. Rick just smiled slowly in a respectful way and began to talk. "So are you a fan of my novels?" He knew that this was a very stupid question to ask considering Kate's original statement but he went ahead with it anyway.

Kate just moved her head slowly in an up and down motion that some people may interpret as a nod. "Well I've always enjoyed crime novels and one day I just came across yours in a bookshop." She was smiling slightly at her favourite author as she twisted a strand of hair around a single finger. Her statement though was very far from the truth. In reality she had entered a bookshop on the verge of tears just two weeks after her mother's murder and she had headed straight for the dark crime novels in search for another case that would take her mind off the one at hand. After a while of searching and feeling that it was hopeless she had sat down cross-legged on the floor and began to sob quietly. With each and every sob her back, which was in a concave position, slowly bumped against the shelf behind her and with the added force a book tumbled from its position between all the others. She looked down at the cover of the novel and saw that it was by Richard Castle who was an author that she had never heard of before. As she read the back cover she was intrigued and up until today she pinned that as a complete coincidence.

Katherine smiled slowly at the author and as he nodded back at her she suddenly wondered whether it was fate. She slowly took her mobile from Castle's hand and watched as her favourite author turned to look at his little girl.

"Daddy I'm hungry." Announced a little voice as Alexis looked up at her father. He saw that her blue eyes were now wandering to the trays of ice cream that were under the glass topped counter and he had to admit that he was starting to feel a touch peckish himself.

Castle rose from his seat and flashed his daughter a quick smile, "So pumpkin are there any flavours that you would like in particular?"

Alexis bounced about vibrantly as she peered over yet again at the rainbow of colours. "Well…" she began trailing off slowly "I'd like two flavours on a cone, rocky road and mango."

Castle took a mental note of his child's request before deciding on his own, "I think I'd like a Baci and a boysenberry in a cup."

Alexis giggled to herself, "But daddy you always get exactly the same flavours, you're very, very boring." She made a face at her father, "Daddy what about Kate?"

Castle tried to look offended but it ended up coming out like a smile before turning to face the detective. She was twiddling a loose strand of hair around a thin finger and looking down at her boot clad feet. "Rum and Raisin. One scoop. Cup. Thank you Castle." Despite the fact that she spoke in short sharp sentences and didn't look up he could still tell that she was grateful. He also observed that at that moment it was as though she was on another planet instead of just across the table.

Castle hurried over to the counter and claimed the order. Upon his return it seemed as though Kate had transformed. A one hundred watt smile filled her face and her eyes had lit up. He seemed to have shaken her with his author question but it seemed that she had forgotten it by now.

"Two gelatos, one cone and one cup." He spoke like a waiter as the girl's raised their hands indicating what they ordered. He sat down just beside his daughter and watched them intently.

"Hey Kate do you want to try some of mine? It's really, really yummy and I think you'll like it." Alexis held her cone out to the newcomer and it was greeted with a full smile.

"Well yes as long as that's okay with you and your father, I don't want to eat all your ice cream and then you'll get hungry." She seemed much more animated whilst she talked to Alexis then she had when she was talking to him.

The girl giggled as she let Kate scoop some off with a spoon. "You're okay to share with Kate, it's Monkey Bunkey that we have to worry about…"

"Why? Is he really naughty?" Kate tried to force a shocked face onto her soft pink lips.

"Yep you're absolutely right Kate, he also loves to eat everything."

As if on cue Richard watched as Monkey Bunkey rose from beneath the table and began to 'eat' Alexis and Kate's ice creams. As soon as he was sitting atop the table Rick caught sight Kate's thin finger's tightly clutching the furry toy. The girls suddenly burst into a fit of giggles and Richard, unknowingly, had joined in. As the author laughed Katherine looked up from the tabletop and flashed him a perfect shy smile.

As the trio rose from the seats ready to leave restaurant Rick looked over yet again at Kate, who much to his surprise was already staring at him. He had seen how well the young woman had gotten along with his daughter, who was a very hard nut to crack, and he had also developed a tiny crush on the beautiful cop. He didn't want this to be the last that he ever saw of her. Suddenly he had an idea, the perfect one to reassure the chance to see Kate again. He edged closer to her and tilted his head to the side. "Hey Kate I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner this coming Friday? Don't bring anything I'll just make something for the three of us to share."

Katherine's back straightened as she stared distantly toward the author. After about a second of an expressionless glance a smile broke out along her face. "That does sound like fun but I think you should check with Alexis first." Rick was pretty sure the both of them knew what the child's response would be but he asked anyway.

"Lex you want Kate to come over for dinner next Friday?"

She paused for a moment and held her finger to her chin pretending to think before turning back to the adults. "As long as I get to show her my bedroom and all Monkey Bunkey's friends."

Kate bent her knees so she was at Alexis' height and opened her arms for a hug. "So that means I'll see you Friday?"

"Yeah," Alexis laughed as Kate rose to her feet and watched as Castle passed her a napkin. On it was an address, apartment number and a phone number.

"You'll need these, just come by between five and five-thirty." Castle straightened his back and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"That's fine by me." Kate let off a laugh as she tucked the napkin into her breast pocket and waved to the pair. "See you then."

They waved back and watched as Kate disappeared out the door and into the great big world. They both seemed equally excited about Friday as they hurried out of the shop and back toward their car.

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_AN: So what do you think? Okay so it may seem that it's a bit odd that Alexis is hugging Kate on their second ever meeting but she's just a sweet little girl that has found a friend in Kate. SPOILER: You'll learn in an upcoming chapter that school isn't a real breeze for our favourite bubbly redhead..._

**_UP NEXT: Dinner at the Castle's loft and an overload of Alexis cuteness!_**

_Please review and yet again surprise me with all your kindness!_


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_I just watched the trailer for the finale, looks very __dramatic :)_

_Okay so thanks again for all the favs, follows and reviews. It still blows me away. So this is the next chapter of the Big Sister story, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_"I__f you gave me a chance I would take it_

_It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it_

_Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me_

_When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be_

_N-n-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be."_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

"Daddy, daddy how long till Kate comes?" A long whine was emitted from the mouth of Alexis Castle. She had just waited an entire school week to once again get to see her special police friend and she wasn't even the slightest bit interested in waiting any longer.

The young red head's father quickly hurried in from the kitchen where he was slicing some potatoes, carrots and pumpkin to cook with the lamb roast dinner that he had been planning on all week. He glanced over to where his daughter was sitting on the ground quietly colouring in a picture of a monkey eating a banana before letting his eyes drift to the clock hanging on the wall. "Probably another half hour. I'd like to get these vegetables in the oven before she arrives though so would you like to help me with that?"

Alexis suddenly jumped up from the ground and left her pencils surrounding the piece of paper. "Okay daddy, I'll have to pack that up before Kate comes though." She pointed to her belongings.

Caste nodded and beckoned her over. The pair hurried into the kitchen where Alexis began to help her father peel some carrots.

X-X-X-X

"Ahh this must be it." Katherine Beckett muttered to herself as she exited the elevator and hurried along a passageway leading to a single door. The young woman had to ask the doorman for help but considering Castle's fame he knew exactly where to send her. She adjusted her bag that was strung over her frame and slowly tapped at the door with the back of her fist. After the second tap the door flew open to reveal Alexis. The small red head had such a bright smile that it could probably light up an entire city. She had thrown herself at the policewoman before she had stepped back. Kate's eyes suddenly travelled down to the young girl, she was dressed in a little yellow dress with a few large daisies printed over the surface. Under her dress was a pair of peach pink leggings and on each of her feet was a single yellow ballet flat. Kate couldn't help but smile as she observed the child's long orange locks, which were now free from the boundary of a hair tie and clipped back with a little yellow flower.

"Hey you look lovely Lex, that flower in your hair looks really nice." Beckett complimented the child with a smile.

"Yeah daddy did it for me."

"Well your daddy must be really smart then." Kate let off a laugh as Alexis grabbed her hand and dragged her inside the loft.

X-X-X-X

"Alexis what did I tell you about opening the door without an adult? For all you know a complete stranger could be just outside waiting to abduct you." Richard Castle let out a groan as he pushed the tray of lamb into the oven. Snapping it closed her removed his 'Kiss the Cook' apron and hurried into the main area to see his daughter and his dinner guest.

"Sorry daddy but I knew it was Kate." Alexis stood before her father with a reassuring smile on her face.

Castle nodded but suddenly his eyes caught hold of Kate. Her long dark hair was not in a ponytail as it had been the other day but now it was down and cascading over her shoulders. She was dressed in a tight black camisole that hugged her figure with a denim jacket slung over her shoulders. His eyes trailed down her long legs, which were now coated with a pair of tight black jeans, and to the pair of rather high black pumps on her feet. Their eyes met and it was only then that he noticed that her lips appeared to be smeared with light red lipstick. They both just smiled.

"Hey," Richard muttered the word awkwardly and forced himself to remember to scold himself for that later.

"Hey," Kate tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear before fumbling with the strap of her brown shoulder bag.

The pair was just as awkward as each other.

Castle beckoned his dinner guest further into the loft as he motioned toward the kitchen, as a realtor would do. "Well in case you were wondering we're having roast lamb tonight with some vegetables that someone here helped me peel." Castle's signatured smile filled his face as he pointed toward his daughter who was grinning beside Kate. "You know she's been waiting all week for you to come over and I haven't heard about anything else. I think her whole reception class has heard the story of how she met you. Apologies Kate but you're her 'special friend' now." Castle used his fingers as apostrophes as Kate laughed.

"Well it's good to heard that Alexis knows a good cop if she ever gets in trouble." He knew that she was meant to be joking but something deep in her tone made it sound true.

"Daddy can I take Kate upstairs to show her my room now?" Alexis looked at her father. The puppy dog eyes on her face made it next to impossible to say no.

"Yeah of course Lex but I'll just let Kate know that I'm getting drinks. Red or white?" Castle looked toward the young woman whose hand was trapped by his child's young fingers.

"One red thanks, I'm going to need it after this." She smiled and Castle let off a laugh.

"I could have pinned you as a red girl."

"Yep, you know me already Castle."

X-X-X-X

"So this is my bed and this is the duvet and it's of a kitten. I like kittens but dad says that they are too much work." Alexis began her room tour at her bed and Beckett followed letting off oohs and ahhs as she went. "Look I have a bookshelf and since daddy's a writer I get lots of books. Over here is a Barbie house and here is my Barbie family. This is the mommy, the daddy, the big sister, the little sister and the baby brother. This is their cat Cosmo because that is daddy's favourite name. Here is my favourite place in the whole room, it's Monkey Bunkey's home." The young girl finally stopped talking and pointed toward a cardboard box filled with blankets. Inside sat the monkey from the other day and a collection of other plush toys. There was a hippo, a snake, a pair of ducks and a female monkey known as Monkey Dunkey.

"They're adorable." Laughed Beckett as she embraced the monkey to her chest and shook her head to the side and letting her hair fall as loose curls around her face.

Alexis nodded, "I love, love, love them too."

"Well of course you do, they're yours." As Beckett said that she thought of herself as a child. She would spend day after day playing with her teddy. Her mom helped her make a little winter hat and her dad took photos of the pair on his camera. Those were the days when her father wasn't drunk every waking minute and when her mother was still alive. It was hard to believe that she was happy once.

Alexis observed the carefree look on the young woman's face; she had seemed to drift into another world before shaking back to reality. The pair hurried downstairs only to be met by Castle.

He passed the cop a glass of red wine and she took a swift sip before sitting down on the soft sofa situated in Castle's living room. It was much nicer then any of the pieces of furniture that filled her little apartment. She watched as Alexis sat down next to her. She was holding a kiddie cup filled with Fanta. The small girl looked up at Beckett and smiled. "So did you really like my room?"

After letting another mouthful of Castle's Shiraz slide down her throat she looked toward the child. "Yes sweetie it really is beautiful."

"And not messy enough." Castle's voice cut the cop off as he sat down beside the pair.

"But daddy other kid's parents tell them to clean their rooms but mine is already clean. Why do you want me to dirty it?" The small child was obviously confused.

"Well Pumpkin I'm just joking, I just think you act a bit too grown up sometimes."

"Sorry daddy I'll try to act like a baby if you want me to."

Kate smiled, "No I think your daddy just wants you to be you."

Castle gave Kate a nod, "Yep that's just what your daddy wants."

X-X-X-X

"Okay so here's dinner. I've made a lamb roast and some vegetables. Kate make yourself feel at home and if you need anything just give me a shout. Oh and do you want a refill?" Rick bustled around the table and paused quickly to help his young daughter cut up her meat.

Beckett helped herself to a few pieces of meat and a small mound of vegetables. For someone so thin she ate really well. "Well Castle just a top off, I have to drive home tonight."

He nodded slowly understanding her completely. The trio slowly began to eat their meal. The young girl smiled at her new friend as she scooped some potato into her mouth. Much to Castle's slight surprise Becket smiled back at her.

"So what exactly did you say that your job is? You're in the NYPD, Alexis said you were a cop?" Castle broke the silence that was forming as everyone was intently eating.

Katherine nodded as she sat her wine glass on the table and turned toward Castle. "Well yeah I'm a traffic cop," she let out a low laugh as she ran a pair of fingers through her long hair, "Traffic enforcement and accident investigation. I'm the person that tells you when you're over the limit."

Castle chuckled, "Yeah I wish," he paused as he tilted his head to the side questioningly "A beautiful girl like you, a cop? I thought you'd go for something glamorous like a lawyer."

As her answer came her eyes failed to meet his, "I did a year of law at Stamford, situations changed."

Usually he'd push to learn exactly what she meant by that but the look on her face prevented him from doing so. She didn't look like the open type and giving up your law dreams to become a traffic cop wasn't something you did for no reason.

Rick was about to change the subject when his redheaded baby saved him the hassle. She stopped blowing bubbles in her Fanta for just long enough to look up at the traffic cop. "So Kate do you want to know what I did today at school?"

Kate nodded slowly smiling in that perfect way that drew Castle to her. "Yeah Lex fire away."

Happy to once again be the centre of attention she turned toward her audience. "Well I had maths which is one of my favourite lessons. We were learning about adding together numbers and my teacher said I was ahead. I got a year one level worksheet after that which was more of a challenge."

Kate smiled "Well I always enjoyed Maths too…" Castle listened in happy to slowly be peeling away more layers of the Beckett onion. So far she was a distant maths loving traffic cop with a law dream that she gave up on for some secret reason. Suddenly his phone had begun to ring. She scooped it up and slid along the answer bar before hurrying into the other room to take his call.

X-X-X-X

"So did you do anything else today at school Alexis?" Beckett had now finished her glass of wine and she was using all the self-control that she possessed to not poor another one.

"Well sorta but I don't know if I should say anything about this…"

Kate was unsure if she should encourage the child to open up considering she was a just a slightly broken stranger from a public library but another part of her felt that the child really respected her. She had never ever had much to do with children considering that she was an only child but she understood bonds between people and this little girl had bonded with her. "Sweetie you know you can tell me."

"Well at lunch I wanted to play with this girl called Paige. She's really popular and everyone wants to play with her but she called me a ginger haired nerd and I don't understand why. I'm not a nerd am I Kate?"

Beckett didn't know the child but she didn't want her to be picked on. She was a tiny six year old in the middle of New York and Kate didn't feel she deserved to be treated like this. "Well I just think Paige is jealous sweetie. She probably wants to do year one maths sheets too." Kate paused as the small girl leaned against her camisole clad chest, "and Lex you're definitely not a nerd."

Alexis smiled and leaned over hugging Kate's shoulders even tighter. Kate felt the small redhead's head nestled into her neck and a motherly feeling had come over her for the first time in her life. She leaned over even further and pressed her lips to the top of the child's head.

Castle hurried back into the room still clutching his phone. Beckett looked up from Alexis and toward the young man who sat down on the chair across the table.

"Daddy who was that?" Alexis was standing beside Kate now with a wide smile across her face.

"It was just one of my friends, which brings me to the next thing." He stopped talking and looked from Alexis to Kate. "Kate are you free tomorrow night? I've been invited to a game of poker and since my mom's busy I need someone to look after Alexis." His eyes appeared slightly pleading as he looked toward the cop.

She shook her head slowly. "Well I'm free but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. I don't know you all that well and do you really trust me with your child?"

Kate was right, "Well I know I don't know you and you don't know me but I trust you more than a babysitter and I can't see you ever doing anything to hurt her."

Beckett nodded and turned slowly toward the author's daughter. "Is it okay with you Alexis, if I come by and look after you tomorrow night?"

The smile on Alexis' face was wide enough to light an entire country. "Of course it is Kate. I have about a million things I want to do with you."

Castle caught Kate's glance and mouthed a quick 'thank you'. She just nodded and smiled slowly. For a moment she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

_AN: So what did you think? Fun? Cute? Want more?_

_Drop a review to inspire a quicker update and you can always PM me with any questions._

_Thanks for all the love, over 100 follows, brilliant!_

**_UP NEXT: THE SLEEP OVER PT. 1!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_STANA SIGNED! I woke up this morning and my one and only wish for the world had been granted. I am beyond happy, all those eyelash wises paid off :)_

_Okay so thanks for the continuous support in this story, I'm so proud that a few words typed into my laptop can provoke the attention of thousands of people and over a hundred followers. THANKS FOR ALL OF YOU, Virtual coffee cups for the lot!_

_So it's the sleepover that we've all been waiting for...well at least part one of the sleepover._

* * *

_"She lives in the shadow of a lonely girl_

_Voice so quiet you don't hear a word,_

_Always talking but she can't be heard,_

_You can see there if you catch her eye,_

_I know she's brave but it's trapped inside,_

_Scared to talk but she don't know why,"_

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

Katherine Beckett slowly pushed a long strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear as she waited impatiently on the doorstep of the Castle loft. She had knocked a matter of moments ago and was really beginning to feel out of place. She had never been poor but she had never been wealthy either. This apartment complex was filled with toffee nosed women walking their Cavoodles on leashes or with their Chihuahuas in their handbags. Compared to their fur coats Beckett felt that her white camisole half covered by a loose NYPD sweatshirt, pair of short shorts and scuffed ballet flats looked pathetic.

Suddenly the door before her swung open shaking away the thoughts. Standing in the doorway was Alexis. The child was dressed in a salmon pink playsuit with a white long sleeved shirt underneath. Her hair was down again letting her orange fringe fall just above her eyes and her smile was bright, as always.

"Kate you're finally here, I thought you'd forgotten." In actual fact she was ten minutes early but she remembered back to her childhood when she had absolutely no sense of time.

"I wouldn't forget, if I did your dad would never forgive me," she caught a glimpse of Castle over Alexis' shoulder and flashed him a smile. "You look very pretty today though, is that new?" Beckett pointed toward the child's play suit.

"No silly I've had it for ages but you look lovely." Alexis grabbed Kate by the hand and dragged her into the apartment. As the young woman stood in the hall Rick walked over to her side.

"Thanks again for agreeing to this, I should be home by twelve and her bedtime's nine but I think she'll remind you of that. We have Paper view if you'd like to watch that after you put her to bed." He smiled the same smile that she had admired on the back of book covers for the past few years and fished a one hundred dollar bill from his pocket.

Immediately Katherine shook her head, "You don't have to do all that. I'll just keep Alexis busy, feed her some dinner and we might watch a movie or something. Oh and Castle I don't expect to be paid for this."

"Are you sure because I really don't mind. You're going to be looking after my rambunctious little girl for at least five hours before putting her to bed. You deserve to be compensated for the stress that it is sure to cause you."

"No Castle, I have money and I'm sure I'll have fun with Alexis."

"Okay, okay," he put his hands up in mock fear before smiling curiously, "why do you call me Castle? Every other woman I've ever met just called me Rick."

"I like it better." She smiled slightly before feeling a tug on her arm. Kate smiled at Alexis who smiled back and quickly gave her dad a hug. Rick kissed her forehead and whispered a goodbye before turning to Kate.

"Bye to you too Kate, thanks again."

She waved slowly, "Bye Castle."

X-X-X-X

"So this is my first ever sleepover. I want us to play truth or dare, watch movies, have pillow fights, eat snacks, do makeup and play with Barbies." Alexis began to bounce up and down on the couch in excitement as Kate sat down on the rug.

The cop pulled her two long legs up to her chest and leant her head against them. She smiled at the little girl, "So if you have all of that on your mind what do you plan on doing first?"

"I want to do your hair."

Cringing slightly Kate ran her fingers through the brown mess of strands. She'd never liked anyone doing her hair beside her mother. Her mother, her lifeless body. She shook the thoughts away and turned to look again at Alexis. "Okay you can do mine as long as I can do yours."

X-X-X-X

Having her hair done wasn't as bad as Kate had first thought. Alexis had slowly run the brush through the light brown mass of waves before scooping it all into a hair tie and tying a long blue ribbon around it. After she finished she passed Kate a mirror. "So what do you think?"

"It's beautiful Alexis," Kate smiled as she shook her head letting the ponytail shake back and forth. She beckoned the little girl over and told her told her to sit down in-between her legs, which were spread out like a V. Kate began brushing out the child's hair before running her finger's through it. She separated it into three sections and slowly began to plait it together making it into a single rope. She reached into Alexis' hair accessories bucket and removed a hair tie and a ribbon. After fastening it together she passed the child the mirror.

"Kate it's beautiful." She hugged the traffic cop quickly before hurrying away. Upon her return she laid a box of nail polish before the other woman. "Let's paint our nails."

X-X-X-X

After a good forty-five minutes Beckett's nails were a deep shade of blue. Alexis on the other hand had gotten the cop to paint a rainbow of colours onto her nails. They had waited for them to dry before Beckett returned with a bowl of chips. The pair dug in and suddenly the twenty-one year old felt at ease. For the first time in two years she wasn't contemplating killing anyone, including herself, or she wasn't feeling sorry for her mom. She was happy.

Suddenly Alexis jumped up. "Kate can we play Barbie's now?"

Beckett nodded and felt her hand be grabbed yet again. She was dragged up a staircase made of modern looking stairs and into Alexis' room yet again. She peered quickly into Castle's room as she passed and noticed an awful photo of a lion. How could anyone sleep with something so ugly watching them?

"Well in case you don't remember from yesterday I have a whole Barbie family and they all have names. This is Jenny Richards and her husband Tom Richards. They have a teenage daughter called Mellissa whose really naughty and got a tattoo with her bad friends," Alexis paused as she showed Kate a dark haired Barbie who was the teenager, as the cop thought back to what Alexis said she felt her hand slip over her upper thigh which sported her rebellious teenage tattoo. "So next we have the little sister and she's named Alexis after me, daddy and I had to look everywhere for an orange haired Barbie." She passed Beckett the doll. "The little baby brother is the last one. His name is Joey and he's only four months old. It is a really happy family and the bigger sister always looks after her siblings even though she's a bit naughty."

Katherine knew that this was the type of family that Alexis wished for. She was a tiny little girl with no mom, no siblings and only a daddy. Kate knew that Alexis had started to look up to her like a half mom half big sister and she wasn't sure what she was to do about that. She couldn't see herself as a permanent fixture in their lives at all, especially if Castle decided to marry again to another woman.

"So do you want to know how to play?" Alexis had her little family spread out on the carpet just in front of her and they were all dressed in separate little outfits.

"Yep." Beckett popped the p and nodded her head as she crossed her legs tightly and laid her hands in her lap.

"Well it's the evening for our little family and Mellissa is home from her boyfriend's party. Mom is cooking dinner and dad is writing in is office, he writes books like my daddy. Alexis is playing with her dollies and Joey is sleeping in his crib."

"So do I just pick a doll and make them do something?" Beckett picked up the teenage daughter and adjusted her black pencil skirt slightly.

"Exactly. You're going to be a lot more fun to play with then dad. He's always really silly and he likes to dress the dolls in silly outfits. I've never played this with a girl besides Grams my grandma but she's so dramatic and likes to kill off dolls like they do in the plays that she's in." Alexis giggled at the thought of her family and smiled at Kate.

"Okay so I'll be Mellissa and Jenny the mom." The mother looked like a real housewife with her hair tied in a bun and an apron slung around her.

"Yep and I'll be daddy, Alexis and Joey, who doesn't say much because he's a baby."

They began to play but it wasn't the smoothest of journeys. Alexis knew exactly how she wanted the characters to act and every time Beckett did something that she claimed as out of character she was told off. After the whole family was in bed the pair hurried down the stairs. Alexis was hungry and Castle had left some frozen pizzas in the freezer for them to defrost.

As Beckett loaded the microwave she turned to Alexis who was sitting on one of the seats along the bar. "So do you want to eat pizza and then we go get changed into our pyjamas?"

"Okay, so you remembered to bring your pyjamas then Kate?" Alexis had gotten her dad to text Kate earlier that day to remind her to bring some pyjamas because Alexis wanted the whole sleepover experience.

"Yep they're in that duffel bag that I brought with me."

Alexis looked relieved as she waited for the pizzas and when the microwave beeped a smile spread across her face. Castle had also told her in the text that Alexis loved pepperoni pizza. Kate removed it from the oven and laid it against the chopping board. She sliced the pizza into eighths and placed two pieces onto Alexis' plate and two onto her own. She carried them over to the bench and laid them down before heading back into the kitchen to pour two glasses of Coke Zero. They were both starving from their busy afternoon and beyond ready to dig into their meals. Beckett watched with a smile on her face as Alexis carefully nibbled at her pizza piece and sipped her drink. How was it possible to have only known someone for over a week and already care so much about them? And it wasn't only the little girl that Kate was caring about either.

* * *

_AN: So hope you enjoyed that chapter. Keep the reviews, favs and follows coming. Thanks for the floods of support!_

**_UP NEXT: PART 2 OF THE SLEEPOVER!_**

_Please Review and Happy Hiatus_


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: I don't own Castle_

_Okay so it's another Wednesday (In Australia at least) and that means another chapter of Big Sister is out on the air. So thanks again for the continuous love and support on this story. I still see new favs and follows each day which is great._

_Hope you all enjoy **Part 2 of the Sleepover**! _

* * *

_" __But I'm only human_

_And I bleed when I fall down_

_I'm only human_

_And I crash and I break down_

_Your words in my head, knives in my heart_

_You build me up and then I fall apart_

_'Cause I'm only human __"_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"So Alexis do you need any help changing or are you okay?" The pair had just finished eating their dinner and they were ready to get changed into their pyjamas. Kate watched from the top of the stairs as Alexis climbed up slowly behind her.

The red head smiled, "I can change all by myself. You go put your pyjamas on in daddy's room and I'll get changed."

The colour drained from Kate's face as she realised that she'd have to get changed in the bedroom of her favourite author. She knew that it would be very awkward but she decided not to fight against it. She really did want to sneak a better look at his room anyway. She waved to Alexis before she hurried into Castle's room.

Peering around she yet again saw the ugly lion but other than that it was neat and organised. It was the exact opposite to what she imagined. After a quick look at the books on the shelf she laid her duffel bag down on the quilt cover and removed her pyjamas. Quickly she stripped off her NYPD sweatshirt, camisole and blue shorts. She then pulled a light blue camisole over her bare shoulders and rode a pair of tartan red shorts up her legs. After removing her already smeared makeup with a removal wipe she tied a ribbon around her head and hurried into the hall. She was met with Alexis who was dressed in some soft blue three quarter pants and a t-shirt with pastel coloured spots adorning the material. She hurried closer to the cop, her little brown ugg boots slamming against the carpet, and embraced her tightly.

"You look so pretty Kate. I love your pyjamas." She was smiling.

"Yours are pretty cute too sweetie and mine are just old and daggy." Beckett adjusted the strap of her camisole before hurrying down the stairs after the child.

X-X-X-X

"So can we watch a movie?" Alexis was sitting on the sofa licking an ice cream cone as she swung her legs back and forth over the edge of the couch.

Kate smiled as she licked her own cone and removed a DVD from the cupboard. She held up the plastic case for the young girl to see and she was greeted by a smile. "Lex I thought we should watch this one, I've always loved Jennifer Love Hewitt movies."

Alexis looked puzzled, "Are you talking about Liz, Jon's girlfriend?"

Kate nodded, "I think that's who she played. I haven't actually seen it Lex, I've just read a review whilst getting my hair done." She bent over and opened the DVD drawer in the player. After popping the disc in she walked over to the couch and sat on the other side to the young girl. By the time the opening titles were filling the screen Alexis was curled up to Katherine's side like a small child with her mommy, and Kate's arm had mysteriously wrapped around the little body.

X-X-X-X

"Kate are daddy and you like Liz and Jon?" The end credits were rolling and the pair had just watched the cartoonist and the vet fall in love.

Blushing a shade as red known as a beetroot Beckett peered at the small child. "No sweetie I've only known him for a couple of weeks and we're just friends."

"But if you did like him would you marry him?" She stared into the cop's eyes, "and would you become my mom?"

That was an awkward question because, even though it was highly unlikely, if it ever did happen she would become Alexis' stepmom. "No I'd always be like your big sister."

X-X-X-X

"Kate it's eight forty-five, if we don't hurry upstairs I won't have time to get ready for bed before nine o' clock." The child looked genuinely worried as she jumped up from the sofa holding Monkey Bunkey by one of his paws.

The pair had been watching a Barbie movie and it was about to finish in half an hour. "Lex calm down, why don't we finish this movie and then you go to bed. It will only be nine fifteen or so and I'm in charge today anyway." The cop adjusted her weight on the sofa and beckoned for Alexis to return.

"No Kate that is against the rules, I'm a child so I definitely need my sleep." The certain look filling the small girl's face almost cracked Beckett up. Alexis just stared as she thought of herself as a teenager breaking her curfew and the works. After a moment of thinking Kate had given in. She rose from the sofa and smiled at Alexis who appeared to be relieved that she was going to bed at her bedtime.

X-X-X-X

Alexis brushed her teeth quickly in her father's ensuite before meeting back with Kate in the hallway. "I've brushed my teeth and now I'm ready for bed. Will you tuck me in Kate?"

"Yep of course," the cop felt Alexis' hand slip into hers as they hurried toward the bedroom.

Alexis climbed in under her floral duvet and Kate adjusted it over her small form. After tucking Monkey Bunkey in beside the child Kate leaned forward and pressed her lips to both of their foreheads.

"Goodnight Monkey Bunkey, Goodnight Alexis." Kate began to back toward the door and smiled at how peaceful the child appeared.

"Goodnight Kate."

X-X-X-X

After hurrying back downstairs Kate tucked herself under one of Castle's blankets on the sofa. She reached out for the remote and began flicking through Pay per view. Nothing of her interest seemed to be on so she hurried toward her duffel bag and removed the latest Richard Castle book that she had been reading. She laid it on her lap she began to get lost in the words of her favourite author. It seemed crazy that she was reading his novels on his sofa but really a lot had changed over the past few weeks.

Sometimes Kate wished that she had someone that she could talk with about all of this. She was considering going to see a psychiatrist but she knew that he would just prescribe her to some pills and pretend to think she was sane while she knew that he would actually find her crazy. Like they all did, she knew she wasn't stable, she knew she was crazy. She also knew that before long Castle and his beautiful little girl would also learn that too. When her idol and favourite author learnt that she was a broken depressed young woman who had been at an emotional low deep enough to consider the unthinkable he'd want to get his baby away from her. They were the closest things that she had had to a family since 1999 when her mother had been taken by the evil of the world and her father had been taken by the evil of the bottle. Her friends from high school suddenly weren't her friends anymore either. They'd have fun and she'd be depressed, soon they gave up on her and just saw her as a killjoy. Since then she joined the academy and banished her dreams of becoming a lawyer in a twisted search for justice. She hadn't spoken to her father in months and she had drunken herself to sleep a few nights to try and prevent the nightmares.

_He's not interested, you're damaged goods._

Each time she pondered the idea that Castle giving her a second look actually meant he felt something special toward her a voice in her head was ready to object. She knew that Castle needed a beautiful woman with wealth and looks not a mentally and physically scarred young cop. She knew that he wasn't interested in her and the part that hurt the most was that she knew that she was going to slip away out of their lives before she even got to know them properly. She didn't want to bring her burden on to them anyway.

_You should have just ignored that child in the library…_

A high-pitched scream suddenly shook Kate out of her thoughts. Her reflexes that she had strengthened in the academy suddenly came into play as she jumped up from the sofa and let her book and blanket clatter to the ground. She began running up the stairs all of the horror stories that she had heard in the force running through her head. She knew that Castle would never forgive her if Alexis were hurt. Her feet carried her onto the landing at the top of the stairs as she thundered into the child's room.

A sigh of relief slipped through the cop's lips as she saw that Alexis was alone, curled up in the bed but that feeling was short lived as she heard the whimpers come from the child's mouth and saw her face glisten with tears in the dark room. Kate approached slowly not wanting to scare the child anymore than she already was. After propping herself up at the end of the bed she turned to look toward Alexis. "Okay sweetie you gave me a heart attack. Are you all right? What happened?"

Alexis shook her head, she appeared to be embarrassed that she caused so much stress and commotion. "I just had a nightmare about a monster and it was going to hurt daddy and I didn't know what to do." She was sobbing between words and Kate felt the child's body weight shift so that she was lying against the cop's chest.

"Oh you know it was only a dream and if it's a dream it can't hurt you." Kate was channelling her mom now.

"I know but I don't want you to go. You're a policewoman and you can protect me." Kate felt her heart beat in her chest. She couldn't protect her mother, how could she trust herself to protect this little girl?

"But sweetie I give out parking infringements and test drunk guys. I can't protect you from monsters."

"Yes you can, pretty please Kate?" By now the child was clinging onto her making it impossible for her to slip away. After one last glance at Alexis' face Beckett had made up her mind.

"Okay just until you fall asleep." Beckett laid herself down on the bed beside the child and let her arms encircle her small body. Alexis nuzzled her face into Kate's cotton singlet and smiled to her babysitter.

"You're my big sister, you can protect me from monsters."

Kate stroked the young girl's orange hair. A part of her wished she could fight the monsters while a part of her knew that she probably was capable of doing so. A part of her wished that she could stay as Alexis' 'Big Sister' forever while another part knew that that was impossible.

X-X-X-X

Richard Castle returned home from James Patterson's poker game his briefcase holding his winnings. He'd been so successful he was planning on taking Kate out for lunch on Monday to thank her for all of her help. He glanced around the entrance of his loft in search for the cop who seemed to have vanished. As he reached the living area he saw her duffel bag still laid atop his glass topped coffee table and a copy of his book 'A Rose for Everafter' strewn along the ground. He scooped it up and opened it to the title page. Written along the browning paper in ballpoint pen was a message.

_To Kate,_

_Keep your head high and your thoughts positive._

_You're special._

_Richard Castle_

Pondering this for a second he tried to remember ever seeing her at a book signing. After a few minutes he thought back to a girl with long dark hair wearing a grey hoodie. She had rings around her eyes and creases through her forehead. She might have been Kate.

Still pondering the thoughts her hurried up the flight of stairs to check on his daughter. He presumed that Kate would be in the toilet and he was planning on heading back downstairs to see her off after kissing his child goodnight. As he entered Alexis' room his eyes fell on the child sleeping in the bed. His daughter was nestled up to Kate's side and the cop's arm was around his baby girl. He smiled at the scene and decided against waking either of them up. He would see Kate off in the morning.

After giving Alexis a goodnight kiss and adjusting the blanket over the two girls he exited the room silently and climbed into bed. As he fell to sleep he thought solely about Kate and that night he dreamt about her. He pictured her perfect form that he had just observed in Alexis' room naked and sleeping peacefully beside him in his bed. He knew, even in his subconscious state, that he couldn't think like this. She was practically a stranger but for some reason he had invested more trust in her then he had in anyone else in the world.

* * *

_AN: So Ta-Da chapter 5 is done. Please continue sharing the love and support by following, favouriting and maybe even reviewing. More reviews may even mean a sooner chapter, earlier then next Wednesday._

**_UP NEXT: Castle's thank you lunch for Beckett_**


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: I don't own Castle, I just own the ideas and the future oc's._

_So all of your support guys is really making me happy. I am very proud of how this little story has turned out so far and I love checking reviews. Thanks for reading and being the nicest, most supporting fan base in the world._

_Here is Chapter 6!_

* * *

_" __It's alright to cry_

_Even my dad does sometimes_

_So don't wipe your eyes_

_Tears remind you you're alive_

_It's alright to die_

_Cause deaths the only thing you haven't tried_

_But just for tonight_

_Hold on __"_

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

Waking up with a start Beckett glanced around a strange room. Briefly forgetting her location she began thinking that she was still dreaming but then the memories came flooding back to her. Alexis' nightmare, her babysitting job. She must have fallen asleep and forgotten to wake up. Peering to the side she saw that Alexis was still curled up to her. She'd never felt another child show her so much love before. It was only then that she realised that this was probably how her mom felt about her. She hugged Alexis closer as she peered at the time. Seven-thirty stared back toward her. In a panic she almost jumped from the bed before realising that she had the day off. Due to the amount of cops joining the force increasing greatly she was getting more and more days off. This was good for her though considering that she was studying becoming a detective. She had gone into the NYPD files section a couple of months back and was met by an older African American man. He was the captain of the homicide division and he had complemented her mom before telling her that she'd make a good detective. After sleeping on it for a couple of nights she realised that she could get justice this way and that she was also becoming sick of parking infringements and breath tests. She knew the detective test was still a while away but she also knew that she could never do too much studying. So in other words she was having the weekend off to study.

A few minutes later she felt movement beside her and smelt pancakes. Alexis looked toward door and began to rise from the mattress before noticing the older woman who observed her.

"Kate I thought you were going to go home last night when daddy came home." She rubbed at her eyes sleepily as she watched Kate sit up and smile slightly.

"Well sweetie I must admit that I fell asleep. I only just woke up too." Kate stood

up and adjusted her singlet and shorts.

"You can then have breakfast with daddy and me then. I can smell pancakes."

"Oh no, no I'd hate to intrude…" Beckett was cut off before she even finished speaking as Alexis pulled her down the staircase.

X-X-X-X

"Ooohh how's my sleepyhead?" Castle put down his spatula and hurried over to his daughter. After scooping her up and bombarding her with kisses he turned toward Kate.

"Hey sorry about not waking you up last night, you looked tired yesterday and you were sleeping so…" Castle seemed to be speaking rather awkwardly as he switched his daughter for a spatula.

Beckett waved her hand around before her dismissively. "Nah don't worry about it, Alexis just couldn't sleep that was all."

Castle shrugged away her remarks and turned back to the stovetop, "Hey I hope you're not too busy Kate because I made some pancakes and there's too many for just the two of us so I was wondering if you wanted to stay. I don't want it to be a hassle or anything."

A hassle? No way, she was beyond happy to stay with them for breakfast, beside the study for the impending test she had nothing else to do and for some reason hanging around with the pair made her feel better. She also knew that she wasn't going to hang around them forever so she thought that she'd make the most out of it. "Yeah that sounds fine." The eagerness didn't make its way into her speech though, she didn't want to appear overly excited about any of it.

"Well great, Lex why don't you set the table and Kate you can go sit down if you'd like." Castle poured another batch of pancakes onto the sizzling pan.

Alexis nodded and hurried toward the drawer to pick out the cutlery that was required. Kate was a touch less eager for her job, she didn't feel as though it was right to make Castle cook and get everything ready while she sat around reading the paper.

"Hey why don't I make some coffees or something? I don't want to appear as though I'm a burden on you guys. I shouldn't be here anyway, I should be in my own apartment making myself a mug of coffee."

"You'd seriously rather to be cold and alone huh?" He raised a single eyebrow.

"How do you know that I don't have a muscular fireman warming my bed?" Her tone was filled with wit for the first time in ages as she adjusted her hand on her hip.

He smiled, "Well maybe but I don't think you do considering the way that you're chatting me up." He was joking but her jaw seemed to have dropped.

"You think I like you?"

"Yep and feel free to use me to warm your bed anytime. Writer's really are the new firemen."

"What are you, a three year old?"

"Nah I'm at least four."

She couldn't help but smile at his childishness. That was the first time she had met his other side, the one that reminded her of a three year old on red cordial. Secretly she liked it almost as much as his caring fatherly side though.

X-X-X-X

After she adjusted a strand of hair behind her ear Katherine Beckett jumped off her the back of her Harley motorbike, which she had spent her entire childhood saving for. Once her feet, which were covered in a pair of brown suede boots landed on the paving she began toward the café where Richard Castle had organised to meet her for lunch. She hadn't seen him since Saturday morning and she had received a call from him late Sunday night whilst still studying. He had said he wanted to meet her for lunch that coming Wednesday, supposably he needed to thank her for Friday night.

She hurried in through the automatic doors and glanced around the bustling tables. Her eyes fell on Castle who was sitting at a booth just to the side. She smiled and began to close in on the author. He was dressed in a perfectly ironed shirt with a pair of pristine looking blue jeans. He was sipping from a mug filled with espresso and beckoned her over. Kate smiled and hurried toward the booth where she sat across from him. She tried to prop her motorbike helmet beside her where he wouldn't see it but it appeared Richard Castle, like his daughter, had eagle eyes.

"You ride a motorbike?" He was raising a single eyebrow suspiciously as he peered over the tabletop slightly to get himself a better look at the black helmet.

Kate's face flushed a light shade of red as she looked down at her toes, "Yeah a '94 Harley Softail."

"Awesome." He seemed more eager about the motorbike then she would have first presumed. Her father had been furious at the thought of her riding all over Manhattan on a bike. Well Castle wasn't her father.

Castle smiled slightly as he pushed a mug over the tabletop, "I took the courtesy in ordering you a coffee. It's a latte, three pumps, sugar free vanilla. Yeah it's a new flavour and I thought you'd like to try it."

Kate picked up the drink and held the rim of the cup to her lips. She was about to scold Castle on buying her such a fancy drink but as soon as the warm milky flavour rolled down her throat she was immediately won over. "Whoa this is actually really good, thanks Castle." She spoke with her mouth full of coffee so it was inevitable for some not to fly out.

He chuckled as he passed her a paper napkin to wipe her face with. "Well I'm glad you like it, what about us ordering some lunch or something now?"

Kate nodded as she dabbed at her lips before reaching for the menu. As the pair scooped up their menus their fingers had brushed against each other. Katherine felt what seemed to be electricity coursing through her veins as she remembered his soft knuckles against the back of her hands. Only then did she realise that she was falling helplessly in love with Richard Castle, a tall, dark and handsome almost stranger who was completely and utterly out of her league.

X-X-X-X

Kate banished these awkward thoughts as she devoured her focaccia. She had noticed Rick flashing her wayward glances during lunch and she had returned them very conspicuously.

"So no work today huh?" Rick wiped his face and hands before pushing his now plate empty to the side.

"Yeah well I got some annual leave." This was a blatant lie, sort of, as she was planning on spending the day studying for her detective's exam. She didn't feel comfortable telling anyone about that as of yet though so she twisted the truth just slightly for her lunch companion.

"Oh okay because I expected you to come in here decked out in your police uniform with your gun slung to your side and all."

"Well you were only half wrong." Kate slowly lifted the hem of her long shirt to reveal her sidearm and police badge clipped onto her belt.

"Are you even allowed that without the uniform?"

Beckett let her eyebrows rise and fall, "Nup but little rebel me."

The pair began to laugh. "You are rebel, hope that doesn't rub off on Lex."

"Don't worry she acts as though she's six going on forty. She makes me feel younger then her."

"She has that effect on people."

X-X-X-X

Kate had nibbled on a cheesecake for dessert and Rick had had a carrot cake. It was quickly approaching two-thirty and Rick had to hurry away to pick up his fiery red head from her private school. Kate adjusted her leather jacket over her shoulders and scooped up her motorbike helmet. She gave Rick a smile and wave.

"Damn that was fun, let's do it again sometime." She wanted another lunch with him but if she could get something more she'd be a bit happier.

"Yeah well I'd love to stay but duty calls and I don't think I'd ever be forgiven if I was late for pickup…"

"I have police stuff to do anyway…" She failed to add the details as she began to walk out the small café side by side with her favourite author.

After pausing for a moment a smile formed on Castle's lips "Well I know how much you're going to miss my pretty face Beckett so how about dinner at my place again this Saturday."

Rocking uneasily side by side on the balls of her feet she looked toward her lunch companion. "I don't want to intrude Castle, you're making me a million dinners and I haven't made you any…" She scratched at the back of her head with her messily trimmed nails.

"My mother is very eager to meet you and you've babysat my little monster, that is by far enough in return."

So it was finalised dinner at Castle's that Saturday and Kate couldn't wait.

X-X-X-X

Rick Castle adjusted his weight as he settled in his bed that night. Despite Alexis' constant chatter during the afternoon the author's mind hadn't shifted from lunch. No matter how hard he tried to fight it he felt as though he was falling for a certain tall, darkhaired and slightly broken traffic cop. The playful banter he had shared with the young woman over the café table held a special spark that he had never experienced with another woman ever before and the way she genuinely seemed to care for his child was a whole other thing. He had spent many nights with many women and none of them ever cared at all for the bubbly redhead who tried her hardest to get them to like her.

_She's a cop, one of New York's finest, holding a façade up over a compendium of secrets; she doesn't want an author, especially not a ladies man like you._

Thoughts circulated through his head as he nestled into the duvet that was surrounding him. They flooded back and forth past everything he remembered about the young woman until they made it back to the book. He remembered the note and the signature but he was struggling to remember her. He didn't write a note for every other woman. He only wrote them for the special ones and she must have been one of them.

He was almost asleep when the memories of the signing suddenly came back to him.

_It would have been about two years ago and he was tired, it had been a long day of signings and they were all the same. They were all tall, blonde and plastic. They each had wanted a signature on their chests and a one-night stand with the mystery author. Usually he'd be eager but today he wasn't, he just wanted to go home and see his beloved little girl._

_He had almost packed up when one last girl hurried toward him; her worn converses were tapping against the ground. He remembered her almost as though he had only seen her moments before. She had long dark brown hair that was tussled and tangled, tears were streaming down her cheeks and leaving salty trails in their wake. She was wearing a grey oversized jumper with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of ripped skinny jeans. As she slid the copy of his book across the table he thought that he saw some red scars along her forearm. _

_"Whom should I make this out to?" He poised his ballpoint above the page._

_Instead of the spiel about being in love with him as the usual females did this woman only spoke a single word "Kate," and as she said it she looked up at the author for the first and only time. Her big green eyes that were filled with pain had burned into his before she cast them down yet again._

Richard sat up in bed; he had seen those same eyes earlier that day. She was the same Kate that he had shared lunch with that very day. He wondered why she was crying all those years ago and as his mind did that it also asked what exactly she hid behind the façade and how exactly was he to find out.

* * *

_AN: So was that good? Did you like it?_

_Review please and share the love! Favs are sweet and follows keep you in the know!_

**_UP NEXT: Dinner with Castle and Martha and Kate's past is revealed..._**


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: I don't own Castle, if I did we'd have a new episode sooner._

_So Big Sister continues. I'm pretty proud of what my little story has accomplished. It's odd to think that something I have typed into a laptop can suddenly be enjoyed by thousands of people around the world. Thanks again to all my followers and favourite-rs, you're awesome. So is everyone else who has managed to drop a review by, special thanks to an Anon who had been writing brilliant and oh-so-helpful reviews, keep it up guys._

**_IN OTHER NEWS:_**

_\- Poor Penny Johnson Jerald, how can they kick someone out after all those seasons? I don't want Beckett to be a captain, all she'll do is sit on a desk and boss people around :(_

_\- I'm presently stuck at home with a sinus infection or something similar, this means more Big Sister has been written, more novels have been read and more Castle has been re-watched for the millionth time._

_\- Also Happy Birthday Mum, it's my mum's birthday today!_

**_Okay so without much further ado (apologies for the long note...) here is chapter 7!_**

* * *

_" Tough girl_

_In the fast lane_

_No time for love_

_No time for hate_

_No drama no time_

_For games_

_Tough girl_

_Whose soul aches "_

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

Kate positioned herself in her squad car before she turned the key and heard the gentle sound of the ignition whirring to life. She pressed her foot against the accelerator and she began on her way to Castle's loft. After a long day of collecting fines and breath testing idiots it was finally time to go out for the dinner that she had been looking forward to since Wednesday. Unlike last Saturday Kate couldn't get the day off so she had been forced to drive around all day. That also meant that she had to arrive at Castle's place dressed in her police uniform. She didn't think he'd mind though considering during the playful banter they had shared on the phone that morning he had claimed that he had a thing for women in uniforms. She smiled at the thought of him and had to scold herself yet again, she felt a touch like a star struck teenager.

X-X-X-X

The doorman flashed her a second look for the first time today and Kate looked back at him briefly to wave. It seemed that she was becoming a common fixture around these parts. She boarded the lift and disembarked on his level. When he had told her that his mom was eager to meet her she was a touch worried. She had never, ever been in a stable enough relationship with another man to actually go to the meet the parents stage and she didn't know what to expect. She feared for what she would say if Rick's mom asked about her parents. Could she straight out tell her that one was stabbed to death in an alley and the other was a man living for nothing more then alcohol. She almost turned back but she heard Alexis' excited tone through the door and decided against it.

She knocked lightly against the door with the back of her hand. After about a second of waiting time the door was flung over not by Alexis but by a tall, older lady with bright orange hair. Each and every one of her fears was destroyed when the woman grabbed her into a hug and dragged her inside the loft.

Pulling out of her grasp Beckett smiled toward the older lady who had to be Castle's mom. "Hi darling you must be Katherine I've heard heaven knows how much about you. My name's Martha, I'm an actress, world renowned Martha Rogers." Her long arms flipped flamboyantly through the air as she smiled toward the cop.

Kate immediately liked Martha; she had an infectious personality and a smile so wide that it could light a whole country. "Yep I'm Katherine but you can call me Kate, nice to meet you Martha but I do hope I'm not intruding on a family dinner here."

"Oh darling you aren't intruding. I live here and I have dinner with those two every night. Anyway I was thinking about my son and I think Richard might have developed some feelings for you..." Her orange eyebrows waggled as she elbowed Kate slightly.

Beckett went a shade of beetroot red as she shuffled her black leather shoes over the floorboards. "Nah we're just friends."

"Oh okay…" Something about the way that Martha's eyes glinted showed that she didn't fully believe her though.

X-X-X-X

"Mother are you already traumatising our dinner guests?" Castle hurried into the hall followed closely by Alexis who had a large smile filling her face.

"Oh Richard don't always be so dramatic Katherine here is a lovely girl." Martha's arms motioned toward Kate who was adjusting her police hat over her hair.

Richard and his mother engaged themselves in a little argument as Alexis hurried over to the cop's side. The small redhead tugged at Beckett's jacket, which caused the cop to bend over so that she stood at her height. "Hey Lex so how was your week?"

A smile escaped from between the young girl's lips as she nodded to herself. "School was awesome I did more second grade math and dad and I have done so many fun things after school." The child's arms flapped about flippantly as she bounced.

Beckett nodded slowly, "So how was Paige, did she say anything mean?"

Alexis' young jaw dropped "You actually remember that?"

"It wouldn't be like a big sister to forget would it?"

No response had come from the child but she had thrown her arms around the cop's waist and pulled her in for a hug. Somewhere in the back of Katherine's mind secretly desired to take the police issued side arm from her waist and blow out Paige's brains but she didn't know if she could take the jail time.

Castle, Martha and Alexis lead Kate to the table where she was met with a much-needed glass of Chardonnay. Sipping it to her lips she felt six eyes blaring into her side. She turned around and the two Castles, and one Rogers (as she later found out) all had different requests. Castle wanted to know if she had cuffed anyone today, he had claimed that it was kinky. Alexis wanted to tell Beckett about a sight words test and Martha wanted to talk all about herself.

After she knocked back a large gulp of her white wine she turned to the trio. She knew that it was going to be a very long night.

X-X-X-X

"So Katherine do you have any family, any brothers or sisters?" Martha didn't know that she had just let hell break loose as she asked the simple a question. Kate quickly downed her glass of red wine and tried to come up with a lie. She knew she was taking a bit long when Martha started looking at her strangely. "Darling are you all alright, you look like you need to throw up."

Suddenly an idea struck the young cop, "Throw up yes I do, do you have a bathroom I think I've ate a bit too much." She knew that that sounded utterly awful but she couldn't possible answer Martha's question.

Castle pointed toward the downstairs restroom and she hurried over to it. When she reached the security of the locked room she collapsed on the ground beside the toilet. Leaning with her head against the wall she began to sob. This made her even more out of his league. She was alone; she had no family, no one that loved her. She continued to sob as she pictured herself as a child seated atop her dad's broad shoulders. What she would give for that moment again was incredible.

After a while she heard knocking at the door and she ignored it. "Kate it's Rick, are you all okay in there?" He knocked again.

She had risen quickly from the ground and unlatched the lock. Castle's eyes examined her and she knew from his first glance that he thought she looked like crap. "Don't you ask what's wrong because nothing is. I'm fine, I'm god damn fine."

Castle nodded taking her seriously and stepped into the bathroom closing the door behind them. She heard it lock as he sat down on the ground beside her. "I know you're not fine. You haven't been fine this whole time we've known you and I remember you Kate from one of my signings. I remember you were crying, don't lie and say you've forgotten." His tone was serious, one that she only remembered hearing when he was telling Alexis off for opening the door by herself.

"Okay I'm not fine but do you seriously expect me to confide in you? I haven't told anyone and what makes yourself so special?"

"I doubt you've spent many dinners at anyone's house if they weren't special and I especially doubt you'd baby sit their children."

He had gotten to her she knew that. "Okay but do you seriously care? I'm a crazy, broken woman, I don't want to burden you or your family with my crap life."

"Katherine Beckett sitting before me is a beautiful, smart, witty, caring woman and no matter how hard I look I don't see crazy or broken. We all experience hardship, I do, you do, and that doesn't mean that I see you any differently."

She had never heard anything so nice being directed toward her. Suddenly she wanted to open up, she wanted to take those walls that she had be building for years and let them come down just slightly. "I was happy, I came from a slightly well off family living in Manhattan. My parents were both lawyers, I was blessed but when I was nineteen the blessings became a curse. My father and I came home one night to find a detective standing in our living room. He told me that my mom had been stabbed in an alley. She was dead Castle. My dreams of becoming a lawyer crumbled before my eyes as my search for justice became practically unquenchable. The dirt was still fresh above my mom's grave when dad turned away from me and to the bottle. He became an alcoholic and nothing I could do could make him stop drinking. At nineteen I had nothing worth living for so I decided to become a cop, justice for my mom was the only thing that I had left. So I joined the academy and rented a little apartment because I couldn't bear seeing my dad passed out drunk with a bottle of scotch held tightly in his hands. I don't want much now Castle but I want to put this son of a bitch who killed my mother behind bars, no I want to put a bullet in his head. He took my life so I want to take his."

She was now slumped over crying into the author's chest. He slowly rubbed at her back with the palm of his hand and whispered some shushes into her ear. It was the first time in two years that she had actually opened up to anyone and in some twisted way it made her feel a bit better.

"Hey, shush, you'll be okay. You're not alone anymore Kate you have me, you have my mom and you have Alexis. We'll all be here for you even if your dad can't." The way he said 'your dad' took on a bitter tone.

Kate nestled herself further into his soft white shirt. It smelt sweet and spicy, like cologne. For the first time in years she felt safe and that sensation was something very special.

"I really care for you Kate, I don't want you to forget that."

"I won't Castle and can you just keep holding me like this?"

"Always." Castle muttered the word quietly into her hair and let his arms tighten around her.

X-X-X-X

The pair re-joined Alexis and Martha at the table. The little girl was laughing with her grandmother, as she seemed to be mocking pictures in an issue of a gossip magazine. Katherine felt as though a huge weight had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders and the relief coursing through her veins was a wonderful sensation.

Alexis looked up at Kate and much to the cop's surprise she didn't ask any questions, Martha didn't either, which was a relief. The redhead smiled toothily and pointed toward the magazine. "Look at that lady's bum!" The child's mouth formed a perfect o shape

Beckett chuckled at Alexis' complete surprise toward Kim Kardasian's bum. As Alexis continued to show her the remainder of the magazine the rest of the walls separating her from this family had slowly begun the continuation of their crumbling.

* * *

_AN: Yaay the confession chapter, I'm glad Kate is feeling more at home with the Castle's now. Expect the next update Wednesday week, also keep up the reviews because they are inspiring. Virtual hugs for all of you!_

**_UP NEXT: Beckett picks up Alexis from school and puts Paige in her place...I've always hated Paige since she smashed Alexis' egg back in season 2_**


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_So Big Sister is back. Thanks for all the love and reviews on my last chapter and I am still eager each day to check my emails and see that people have faved, followed and reviewed._

**_IN OTHER NEWS: _**_I wish Emily Deschanel (from Bones) and hubby all the happiness in the world at the birth of their baby boy :)_

_Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_" __We keep this love in a photograph_

_We made these memories for ourselves_

_Where our eyes are never closing_

_Hearts are never broken_

_Times forever frozen still__ "_

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

Kate hurriedly dressed in a pair of black sweats and a sports bra before she pulled a loose NYPD t-shirt over her form. She then tucked her iPod Nano into her pocket and began to hurry out the house. It was time for a morning jog.

Kate felt her feet tap along against the ground in a perfect rhythmic pattern as she hurried away from her apartment block in such a rush that she barely had any time to even wave to her doorman. She adjusted her headphones in her ears as she continued to jog. The sound Ed Sheeran's A-Team echoed in her ears, she swayed as she ran and despite the sombre meaning of the song Kate's mind travelled instantly to something happier. Castle.

X-X-X-X

"So daddy at school today we have to do all of this stuff about farmed animals and non farmed animals. It's not that exciting but we get to learn about cows today and supposably we're gonna make ice cream which will be really fun." The constant babble of the child's voice flooded into her father's ears and filled the entirety of the small café that Castle had taken Alexis to for breakfast.

He knew that he really should have been listening to his child but his mind was too far away to turn back now. He was remembering the one new exciting thing that had just waltzed into his life. He was remembering the same woman slightly drunk leaning against him in his bathroom and crying her eyes out. He remembered how he had comforted her and how as soon as they left the small bathroom her façade had suddenly flown up yet again.

"Daddy you're not listening. Are you thinking about Derrick Storm again?" Alexis looked toward her father still chomping at the edge of her croissant with an unimpressed look filling her face.

"Shush!" Castle held his finger to his lips. His daughter had just called out the name of his new character for the whole café to hear. "Don't tell everyone about him just yet he's still in his conceptual stages."

"Conce…conecptool…conceptwhatever. I don't care daddy I just want to know if you think school made ice-cream will be yummy or not." She crossed her arms and glanced inquisitively at her father who had just taken another sip from his coffee.

"Well I think it'll be okay but not as good as the ice cream from our favourite shop. It should still…" His daughter suddenly cut him off as she let out an excited yelp. Begrudgingly he turned to see what the fuss was all about. He thought that she was the one that wanted to know what he thought about ice cream and now she was interrupting him.

His eyes drifted to the large glass window just beside the booth where they were sitting. Much to his surprise he saw a tall young woman dressed in sweats jogging along footpath in admits the busy Manhattan streets. This young woman wasn't any other young woman either, one look at her determined green eyes proved his suspicions instantly. It was Kate. Sliding along the booth, one on each side, the pair began hammering against the glass and rather loudly calling out Kate's name. Those actions had warranted them both dirty looks from the staff and customers but it all hadn't been in vein, as Kate looked up at them a mixture of surprise and amusement on her face before jogging straight into the café.

Katherine began on her way over to the pair. She heard her converses bouncing lightly against the floorboards as she made her way to their sides. "Wow I didn't expect to see you guys here this morning," Kate began to speak as she let her thin fingers tug against her ear buds letting them fall from their position, "and Lex I thought you had school today?"

Alexis nodded motioning to her navy skirt and blazer as well as the hat that sat atop her head. "I'm coming here for breakfast before going to school. Grams has some man over and daddy wanted us out the house. I'm not complaining because it is so weird to see Grams kissing an old man." The face Alexis made showed her raw disgust at the topic and gained a short laugh from the cop.

Castle motioned Beckett closer and pointed toward the empty booth beside his daughter. "Hey sit down order a coffee, Alexis' school still doesn't start for a good half hour."

Beckett was past the stage of objecting toward what this man said so she just nodded swiftly and sat down beside the child. A waitress came by soon after and she got herself her new favourite drink. She could thank the author for that.

Just after Beckett took a sip from her latte Castle's phone rung. He whispered that he'd only be a moment before hurrying out onto the footpath to take his call. Without the company of Alexis' father the pair of girls began to chat.

"So what's planned for school today?" Beckett adjusted a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well we're making ice cream because we're learning about cows and other farm animals."

"That sounds like fun. I remember making jelly when I was about your age." Kate let her mind drift to when she was a young girl with a pair of dotting parents. She wondered how something could change so drastically.

"Yeah we haven't done that but we have made butter." Alexis paused and sipped her chocolate milkshake.

X-X-X-X

"But Gina I have a six year old that needs me to pick her up at the end of the day. Can't I just do it some other time?" There was no reasoning with Rick's horrible publicist Gina Howell. He groaned as he hung up his phone. He sometimes wished that he could just get a new publisher but Black Pawn had gotten him rich and he needed to make sure that money lasted at least long enough to get his red head into college.

Anyway Gina was furious that Rick had cut short his book signing when he had hurried to find his missing daughter and she wasn't in the forgiving mood. She had practically held a gun to his head and had ordered that he was to do his book signing again today at a big chain bookstore. He had tried to convince her against it considering that he wanted to help his friend and more importantly pick up his daughter. Alexis had never been to after school care and he didn't want it to start today. After a few moments of pondering Rick came to the only suitable conclusion, he was to ask for help.

He walked back into the café and looked toward at his young daughter who had climbed comfortably onto Kate's lap. The pair was using some type of photo booth app on Kate's phone and they were snapping some photos. He chuckled to himself as he approached quietly.

"Hey girls, watcha doing?" He sat himself down on the booth.

"We're using this photo booth app where we can get three eyes or a dent in our head and other cool stuff like that." Alexis proceeded in showing her father some photos that the duo had snapped.

After congratulating them on their slightly amateur photographer skills he turned to Beckett. "Hey I have to take Lex to school in a moment but Kate I have a quick favour to ask first."

"Mmm?" Kate didn't look up from her phone screen.

"Well I just a got a call from my publicist Gina saying that I have to redo my book signing today and if I do that I won't be able to go pick up my little girl so I'm just asking if you can. You don't have to if you don't want to…or if you're busy…or." He was now blubbering like a small child so Kate just nodded and reached out in order to pull him forward. She wedged her head so close to his so that their cheeks were touching. The shutter and flash of her phone's camera went off after she pushed a button.

"So I take it as a yes?"

"Anything for you Castle." It was a wholehearted response from a girl that hid her heart away each and every day.

X-X-X-X

Tapping her foot impatiently against the ground Kate waited for Alexis to be let out of school. Katherine was dressed in a pair of black jeans with a red camisole, which was topped off with a blue denim jacket. Perched atop the young woman's head was a red beret of sorts and on her feet were some ballet flats. She felt out of place in this school. She'd never set foot in a snooty nosed private school before considering that she was a public school girl. A pair of cliché-y mothers looked her at as though she was some dog poop on one of their Prada pumps and some father's muttered something about her not being material for this school. She slipped silently back into her novel and chewed at her bottom lip with her teeth. She wasn't going to let them intimidate her and anyway if she said she was a cop they'd probably all run and hide in order to not get caught on their tax evasion.

After another few minutes of waiting an exuberant reception girl greeted her. Alexis had thrown herself at Kate and had embraced her as tightly as she could with her short little arms. The cop had returned the eagerness and had spun Alexis around before plopping her down on the pavement.

"So Lex how was school?" Kate began to ask the child about her day but before Alexis could reply another girl approached them.

"So that's your babysitter is it Alexis?" The girl spoke in a sharp taunting tone as she removed her hair tie and unleashed some waves of perfect brown hair. "You know she doesn't really love you and want to be your big sister don't you? She's paid to be here." A fake pout formed on the child's cruel lips.

The letters B-I-T-C-H circulated through Kate's head as she looked at the girl. "So you must be Paige huh?" Beckett spoke quickly before the girl could mutter anything more to try and hurt Alexis.

"Yeah whatever."

"Well I think we should set the record straight. I'm not paid a cent to look after Alexis here, I'm just a nice person who really likes Alexis and her father."

"Yeah you might not be paid but you obviously stick 'round just for her dad. No one care's about Alexis, her own mom even left her."

"You know what, I think you must be jealous of Alexis or something kid because otherwise why would you constantly taunt her? Leave her alone, okay?" Beckett had really begun to raise her voice by now and that had warranted her some scows from the Prada mom's sitting across the way with their pristine blond children.

"Why should I?" A defiant scowl like smile formed on Paige's lips.

"Because I said so," Kate slowly lifted her camisole to reveal to her side arm strapped neatly on her belt "and I ain't afraid to use it."

Paige's face changed from sly to scared as she muttered an apology to Alexis and began to hurry away. The pair of girl's looked to each other and hi-fived before they burst into giggles.

X-X-X-X

"Kate do you think my mommy really left because of me?" The pair was walking through the busy Manhattan streets sipping a coffee and a hot chocolate in takeaway cups as they made their way back to the Castle's loft.

Kate knew that they had had a good laugh about Paige but what the girl had said really seemed to have burned into the back of Alexis' mind. "No sweetie your daddy said she liked another man." Castle had told her previously that he had returned home from the publisher's office one night with a bouquet of flowers for his wife and much to his surprise he had found her naked in their bed with one of his friend's from boarding school. He recalled that he had never been so hurt in his life but he got one positive out of it all – full custody of his baby girl. Meredith was supposably to busy in her acting career to even make time for her own daughter.

"Yeah I know that but I have some friends whose parents are split but they still are loved by both. My mommy obviously doesn't love me much." She was looking down at her little Velcro school shoes by now.

Kate wasn't going to lie, "I don't know for sure Lex but even if she doesn't your daddy love's you more then anyone else and I know another lady who cares very much for you."

Alexis looked up at her puzzled, "Who?"

Kate tightened her hand around the one of the small child, "Me silly."

X-X-X-X

Beckett turned the spare key that Castle had given her in the loft's lock. The door unlocked and the pair bounded in. Alexis insisted on changing out of her school uniform so while she was out the room Beckett hurried into the kitchen. She searched for some marshmallows, chocolate sauce and graham crackers and after she retrieved all of the items she compiled two s'mores. She stuck the plate in the microwave for thirty seconds and removed it just in time for Alexis' departure from the stairs.

"What is that?" Alexis asked as she peered at the s'mores. She sniffed them quickly before she turned back to Beckett confused.

"That is a s'more sweetie," Kate was truly surprised that Castle hadn't made the child one before, "When I was a little girl and I had someone be a bit mean when I was at school I would come home and find that my mommy had made me some s'mores."

"Your mommy sounds nice, can I meet her sometime?" Alexis looked truly excited as she peered toward the cop.

Beckett let out a long slightly pained breath after realising that Alexis still didn't know the story. "Well my mommy is in heaven now." She didn't believe in heaven and hell herself but it made it easier to tell Alexis that way.

"What about your daddy? Can I meet him instead?"

Part two of Kate Beckett's traumatic young life was about to be unleashed as she shook her head at the child. She was trying to determine how she was exactly to tell the child about her father's predicament. "You know how some people can drink too much wine and get silly?"

"Yeah Grams does sometimes."

Kate chuckled at the thought of the flamboyant older redhead before she continued her explanation. "Well my daddy does and because of that I don't really spend all that much time with him."

Alexis nodded looking grim as it suddenly sunk it that Kate had absolutely nothing. The young girl finally saw herself as the lucky one; she did have a really loving daddy and Gram.

The moment past and the pair eagerly turned back to the s'mores. They were ready to dig in.

X-X-X-X

"You scared off a six year old with a gun? You won't make a good mom for sure but that is sure to be the type of woman I want in loft." Castle let out a laugh. He was sipping a Scotch after his signing and Kate had been invited to stay for dinner.

Kate raised her eyebrows suggestively, "Care to test your theory Mr Castle?"

He knew she was being silly because if she was being serious he would have tested that theory ages ago. "Maybe another time Ms Beckett."

The pair clinked their scotch glasses as they smiled to one another. Kate was happy to finally be drinking to enjoy herself instead of drinking to try and forget her pain. She never anticipated the happiness that Richard Castle would bring her so she was cherishing it minute by minute because she knew that it wasn't going to last forever.

* * *

_AN: Okay so I hope you enjoyed. Yes, I know Meredith slept with her director but this is my AU and I thought I'd add some angst sprinkles by changing it to Castle's friend. Also, Castle and Gina will NEVER marry in the Big-Sister-Verse._

_So please review. Comments, suggestions, compliments etc are immensely appreciated :)_

**_UP NEXT: Kate helps with a school project and Castle gets news about his next book tour._**


	9. Chapter 9

_AN: I don't own Castle_

_So the next chapter of Big Sister is up. Thanks again for all the reviews, faves and follows so far on this story and I hope to get some more. _

_Thanks for sticking with me!_

_Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

"Daddy, daddy look at what we have to do for a school task!" Alexis Castle's voice boomed from her small mouth as she hurried down the pathway toward her father. The twenty-eight year old author leaned over so that he was at equal height to his small girl. He had come to pick up his daughter from school that Friday and he was actually quite surprised at his small child's enthusiasm.

"Yeah Lex, what do you have to do?" He tried to mimic her eagerness.

"Well our teacher gave us all a big piece of white paper and she told us that we had to do an investigation into a certain job and after doing that we'd have to make a big information page with writing and pictures." Her hand gestures matched the enthusiasm on her face.

"So are you going to do it on authors?"

Alexis screwed up her face, "No way daddy I'm going to do it on being a police woman and I'm going to ask Kate for some help."

Rick faked a hurt expression as he turned to his offspring. "You're choosing her over your own daddy." He extended his bottom lip comically.

Alexis chuckled, "I still love you daddy but I think writing about police will be fun and different."

"I love you too sweetie, how about I ring Kate and see if she can pop in later tonight to help you?"

"Awesome," the pair high-fived before they hurried toward the loft.

X-X-X-X

"So you want me to come over to help your six year old daughter with her homework?" Katherine Beckett questioned her phone as she leaned it awkwardly against her shoulder and her ear. She finished pouring a mug of coffee and sipped it to her lips as she awaited his response.

_"Yep she's waiting for you eagerly at the table and I don't want to crush her hopes of getting to see you today."_

Kate laid the mug on the table and once again let the cell phone slip into her hand, "Okay so you want me over there right now?"

_"Yeah, yeah, well as long as it's okay with you."_

"Yeah it's fine I'll be right there," she adjusted the phone as she drained her mug and rinsed it out in the sink, "wait one last thing, do you want me to bring anything?"

_"Just yourself,"_ the writer chuckled and the cop pictured the wide smile that would have spread across his face.

They said their goodbyes and she hung up her cell phone before she quickly pulled on some black leather ankle high boots. Kate was still dressed in her police uniform considering that she had just arrived home so she supposed that it would have to do. She retied her ponytail loosely and smiled quickly at her reflection in the hallstand mirror.

X-X-X-X

"Thank you for arriving so promptly, Alexis will have to explain the homework task to you but I suppose that you'll find it a breeze. Smart girl like yourself, an almost lawyer, can cope with a first year task. I have to go now though, have a meeting with Gina about something to do with my books. Thanks for minding her." Castle let the cop into the loft and greeted her with open arms. Kate returned his enthusiasm with heart-warming smile as she began toward the kitchen where she could see the small red head waving toward her.

"Yeah, yeah Castle no worries." She smiled one last time at the novelist before hurrying away.

"Kate!" Alexis spring boarded from her position atop one of the bar stools and hurried into Kate's widened embrace. The cop spun the child around a few times before she perched her back up on the stool.

"So what is this task that is so important that you had to have me come over right away?" Kate sat on the stool beside the small redheaded girl and smiled.

"Well…" Alexis did a drumroll with her tongue as she removed a sheet of A3 paper, "I have a project to do on a job and I want to do mine on police so I need your help."

Kate ran her hands over the paper flattening it and smiled at the child. "So what exactly do we need to do?"

"Well we need to do some writing about police and stick some pictures on and write a pretty title." She was motioning with her hands all over the place as her eyes met the piercing green ones of the tall woman.

"Okay so you wanna ask me any particular questions?" Beckett tapped her fingers against her thighs as she peered at the child.

"Nup, just tell me what you know."

X-X-X-X

A good hour later the pair had written all about what the NYPD did, and what a traffic cop was and even how you became an officer. Alexis had insisted on doing the writing all on her own but she ended up copying from the notes that Beckett jotted while they were talking. The cop was relieved she had remotely decent handwriting because she could just see Alexis not being able to understand what she was writing about.

"So about pictures, do you want to get a computer and print some images for us to use?" Kate looked at the empty spaces on the page, which Alexis had kept free for images.

"Okay then," she paused surveying Kate with her bright blue eyes. "Wait how about we use some Google pictures and a picture of you, you look really pretty in your police uniform Kate."

The slightly camera shy young woman shook her head slowly, "Lex you know I don't like things like that."

"But it will make it real though Kate and you could always do this." The young girl picked up the older woman's police hat and adjusted it on her head; she pulled it down over her eyes and smiled. "Look you don't even need to look at the camera."

Beckett chuckled and took the hat from atop the little girl's mass of red hair. "Okay, okay, okay." She had given in and the pair snapped a photo on the webcam.

X-X-X-X

After giving the Epson printer a strenuous workout the pair had cut and pasted about a million printed photos of anything to do with the police force. Alexis had especially favoured the photos of police horses and drug sniffing dogs but her absolute favourite was the one of her and Kate, which was in prime position. Other then the photos the poster was covered in information written in funky coloured textas and a huge title reading 'POLICE' across the top of the page. Kate had done it in her best block lettering and they had done a joint colouring in effort.

When Castle had arrived back home from the meeting with his publisher he had seemed rather flustered but his usual enthusiasm returned as Alexis showed off the poster. Kate's eyes met his and they shared a glance. She knew he looked worried but wasn't sure why.

"Alexis why don't you show Monkey Bunkey your poster? I'll keep your daddy company if you're worried at all about him." The small girl smiled at the cop as she hurried up the stairs.

Kate adjusted her position. She was leaning against the bench, her arms were crossed and the sleeves of her police shirt were rolled up to her elbows. She raised an eyebrow quickly. "Hey are you okay, you look flustered?"

Castle shook his head slowly, "Yeah, yeah all is good. Gina is just such a nuisance."

"What'd she do now?"

"What didn't she do is the question." He grimaced at the thought of his blonde publisher who was just that bit too perky, "she's booked an entire seven day long book tour to promote my new book that I haven't even started writing yet. 'A state a day, sounds fun huh Ricky?'" He imitated her tone.

Kate tilted her head, "So that doesn't sound all that bad for you Castle, I thought you loved signing chests, I mean books." She pretended to correct herself but the sudden sparkle in her eyes said otherwise.

"Yes well you know me very well Beckett but I have a small red-headed, monkey hugging problem."

"Alexis," the realisation hit the cop suddenly. She knew that he couldn't leave the six year old alone for a minute let alone a week. "What about Martha, doesn't she live here?"

Castle shook his head, "I rung her on the way back here, she's busy for four of the seven days."

A sudden idea hit the cop, she tried to force it away knowing that it was ridiculous but the more she pushed the more it stuck. "Why don't I look after her?" It came out a bit too fast and she realised that he probably thought she was crazy. She had only known them for three or four months. How was he supposed to trust her with his baby girl?

"Wait a minute," he paused, his mouth slightly agape, "that is absolutely brilliant. She loves you Kate and you two will have so much fun. This is much, much better then a babysitter…" He was muttering to himself by now and suddenly the NYPD officer wondered what she had gotten herself into.

"You sure Rick, you've only known me a few months?"

"I'm sure Kate, I saw the way that you were helping Alexis today before I left. I've never heard her laugh so much. I think you're good for her Kate."

"I'll have to talk with my boss but I think I can get some time off and if that doesn't work I have unlimited sick days."

"You know you're brilliant don't you Beckett?"

Blushing a deep shade of red she peered down to her boots. No one had ever told her that before.

X-X-X-X

"SEVEN DAYS!" The happiness in the child's voice was indescribable, even by her writer father, as she bounded around the dining table. Kate had been invited to stay for a dinner of mini beef burgers – Alexis' favourite meal, and they were planning on breaking the news over dinner.

"Yep seven days Alexis but Grams will be around for three of them." Castle filled in the details but Alexis was busy bouncing around the table. The small child embraced Kate.

"You know Kate, loosing Monkey Bunkey was the bestest mistake ever. If I hadn't left him in the library I would never have met you and I'd have to have some yucky, bossy baby sitter."

"I agree Alexis," the child would never know on how many levels the cop agreed but she did know that Kate wasn't always happy and that it was up to her and her daddy to keep her smiling.

* * *

_AN: I hope you liked this chapter. The next one will be up on Wednesday, __next week._

_Please review, suggestions, comments and ideas etc are greatly appreciated._

**_UP NEXT: Kate comes over when the book tour begins._**


	10. Chapter 10

_AN: I don't own Castle. All I own is a DVD box set, some Castle trading cards and an iPhone case._

_So Big Sister is back. Would you believe that it is chapter 10 already? I have really been enjoying hearing everyones feedback on this story and I hope to see it continue. It's inspiring to see a review or two and sometimes they can warrant early updates._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

_" __Each day, each day I play the role_

_Of someone always in control_

_But at night I come home and turn the key_

_There's nobody there, no one cares for me _

_What's the sense of trying hard to find your dreams_

_Without someone to share it with_

_Tell me what does it mean? __"_

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

Kate finished folding a few shirts and a pair of jeans, which she then loaded into her bag. She applied pressure to the top of the suitcase and zipped it up quickly. In less then an hour she was expected to meet the Castle family at the loft. Beckett had convinced her boss a few weeks ago that she needed some time off so she had seven days free. It was the biggest break that she had had since joining the force two years back. She was supposed to bring enough clothing to keep her dressed for the seven days but Castle had told her that she could use the washing machine if she needed to. Kate hurried into her bathroom and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. He peered at her outfit, which consisted of a blue cotton shirt and a pair of cream coloured cut off jeans. She applied a swipe of lipstick to her lips and hurried back into her room. She picked up her suitcase and checked the lights. She'd be gone for a week so the last thing she wanted was for her electricity bills to go through the roof.

X-X-X-X

"You took forever and ever. I've been waiting three weeks and two days for this and you're five minutes late. Not fair." Alexis let her bottom lip protrude she lead Kate into the warmth of the loft. The cold Manhattan winter was coming on quickly and Kate had been tempted on the cab ride there to grab her jacket from her suitcase.

"Well hello to you too Alexis." Kate was trying to sound stern but it didn't really work.

The pair was soon met by Castle, he hurried toward Kate dressed neatly in a designer suit with a long dark red tie neatly done up around his neck. "So thanks again Kate. It'll only be seven days, I'll be reachable by phone always, mother should be back here in four days and help yourself to anything around the house. You can even sleep in my bed if you'd like. I've done the sheets just this morning and it is much more comfortable than the couch."

"Are you sure about that, it seems a bit awkward…"

"Nah it's fine, you've done so much for the pair of us over the past few months you deserve to be comfortable."

Kate nodded, "Thanks for your generosity Castle."

"Always."

X-X-X-X

"So Kate I have to help you get set up. You're going to be practically living here for a whole week so you need to feel at home. Can we see what you packed in your bag?" Alexis was eager as she sat herself down on the top of Kate's suitcase. After knocking the girl off the bag Kate nodded.

"Okay but I'm not unpacking all my clothes and everything. I'm not moving in Alexis I'm just baby sitting you for a while."

"I know that but I want to see what pretty clothes you brought with you." Alexis was smiling as she slid the zip and slowly pulled out a few of Beckett's shirts and jeans. Her smile grew as she removed a pair of black pumps and slid her small pale feet into them. Rising from the ground she turned to look at Kate, "Oh look I'm Kate Beckett and I'm a pretty police lady," she paused, "and I have a HUGE crush on Alexis' daddy Rick."

A sudden flash of red spread across Katherine's cheeks and nose. She didn't have any idea why the little girl would exclaim anything like that. She didn't have a crush on Castle and even if she did why would _his _daughter know about it. "Alexis why would you say something like that?"

Alexis awkwardly twisted her fingers back and forth as she looked awkwardly toward Beckett. "Well you sometimes look at my daddy and you act dreamy, a bit like Sabrina towards Harvey in Sabrina the Teenage Witch. You twist your hair around your finger and you blush at him, like you did just then." She suddenly stopped talking and Kate caught a mysterious glint in her blue eyes, "Don't worry though Kate because daddy has a crush on you too."

"Why would you say that?" Kate was sitting on the sofa now and eagerly staring toward the child.

"Because he calls you pretty and he smiles when I say your name. I've never seen him so happy about a name before so I know that he must have a crush." Kate knew that this sounded slightly like something that Rick would say but she tried to change the subject. She didn't really think that Castle had any sort of a crush on her. She was a slightly depressed and even more so broken cop, she wasn't a glitzy celebrity that Castle was used to sleeping with.

"So what do you have planned for tonight?" Kate's subject change was swift as she adjusted a strand of hair and failed to avert eye contact from the child.

"We're busy, busy, busy. I want to watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch with you and we have to do a jigsaw, I love jigsaws so much."

"What type of jigsaw?"

"Let me show you." The pair linked hands as the small child hurried toward her bedroom.

X-X-X-X

"So this cat is a ragdoll kitten and she's in a basket with some eggs and some chicks. It had TWO-HUNDRED pieces, can you believe that someone could cut a puzzle into two-hundred tiny little pieces." The look of raw surprise was adorable as it graced the child's face. Kate nodded slowly as she tilted her head.

"When I was little my mommy and I did a puzzle and it had two thousand pieces. It was a picture of New York." Kate let her mind drift.

_It was a cold winter in Manhattan. Young Katie Beckett was tired of staring out the large windows of her family's apartment. She was upset because the bad weather meant she had to miss out on her soccer game. _

_"Katie?" Johanna Beckett's voice searched for her daughter as the lawyer made her way into the living room. _

_Kate looked up from the window and smiled toward her mother. Her smile turned to a look of curiosity, though, when she noticed a box tucked under her mother's arm. "What's that?"_

_"A puzzle. It is two-thousand pieces and I think that it's a nice way to spend the afternoon."_

"TWO-THOUSAND PIECES?!" Beckett chuckled and embraced the small girl. The sadness suddenly disappeared as she felt the warmth of the child against her.

X-X-X-X

"So do you want to have a frozen casserole or a frozen steak?" Kate peered into the freezer. Alexis was seated at the kitchen table waiting for her dinner. After a long afternoon of puzzle making the pair were both tired and famished.

"Yuck, I hate frozen meals." Beckett chuckled at the stubborn look on the child's face.

"Well what do you want then, there's some potato pie in the fridge but it appears to have something green growing off it." Kate Beckett was now bent over and she was examining the contents of the main fridge.

"Eww Kate," the child was smiling slightly as she observed the disgusted face that her babysitter was pulling. Kate scratched at the back of her head as she smiled into the cold fridge.

"So if everything is so 'eww' to you then what do you want?" Kate closed the fridge with a small slam and positioned herself by the child at the table. "We can call a pizza place," she began to root around in her handbag, "if I can find any money."

"No, no why don't we make Spaghetti Bolognese. I always make it with daddy and it's really easy. I know the recipe off by heart." Alexis was speaking at a rapid pace as she tried her best to convince the older woman. Her demeanour reminded Kate of a politician and her eagerness forced a grin upon her lips.

"Okay, okay as long as you have all the ingredients and you know what to do." Kate followed Alexis into the kitchen.

X-X-X-X

"Okay so we have to chop up some carrots, onion, celery and garlic." Alexis pointed toward a large knife and nodded, "it's an adult job though."

Kate smiled and rinsed the celery before chopping it up quickly into slices. "You peel the carrots for me okay?"

"Yup."

After the vegetables were sliced Kate put the fry pan on medium heat and poured in a dash of oil. Following Alexis' instructions she mixed in the vegetables and added the meat.

"Okay so you put in the tomatoes and the paste after the meat is a brown colour." Alexis was seated atop the bench and she was beaming.

"Okay so tomatoes." Kate poured the tomatoes in quickly and managed to get more on her blouse then in the pan. She groaned and reached for a towel. "Damn, this isn't going to come out." She was muttering under her breath as she rubbed violently at her chest.

"Daddy did that once, he said dam too and I don't understand what beavers have to do with tomatoes." Alexis was gently banging the heels of her feet against the cupboards and swaying back and forth.

Beckett threw the towel back against the bench top and observed the childlike innocence. "I don't know either Lex," was all she said as she continued to stir the mince.

X-X-X-X

An hour later the girls had cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom and Kate had changed clothes from her dirty blouse to a loose NYPD sweatshirt while Alexis set the table.

"This smells so yummy Kate," laughed the small child as Beckett carried a pair of plates to the table. Alexis had arranged the cutlery on two red napkins and she had poured both her and Kate a 'big kid's' glass of lemonade.

"I know, I think we should sign up for Masterchef or something. We really are good cooks." She laid the bowls down and took a seat. She looked toward the little girl but saw that she was already entirely invested in her food. Katherine watched as she twisted spaghetti around her fork and as she managed to cover her face in a thick layer of tomatoes.

"You look like my blouse Lex."

Alexis began to laugh and Kate felt herself doing the same. She felt a weight suddenly lift as she giggled with the young girl.

X-X-X-X

Kate had tucked Alexis in. She had helped the small girl dress into a pair of pink flowery pyjamas and pulled the duvet up around her shoulders. She had sat atop the bed and read a picture book. She retreated soon after to Castle's room. She knew he had insisted upon her taking the bed instead of the guest room but she still felt that it was awkward.

She pulled the writer's sheets up around her shoulders and nestled her head into his pillow. Suddenly she was overcome with a sensation, she wasn't sure what it was at first but then it soon became known as lust.

She was attracted to him; she was attracted to _Richard Castle_.

What Alexis had said to her before came back to her but she knew that it was more then a crush. A crush happened in maths class or with your biology partner, this now was the real world. She was babysitting his daughter, exchanging fiery banter with him over glasses of wine and now she was sleeping in his bed.

After a moment more of thought she came to another conclusion. She wasn't just attracted to Richard Castle she was completely and utterly in love with him. She wanted to hold him, to be with him, to fall into bed with him. She wanted all of him.

* * *

_AN: So Kate has had a sudden realisation!_

_Chapter 10 is up so that means that chapter 11 will be soon. Please review and feel free to share any feedback with me._

**_UP NEXT: Kate takes Alexis to a party and makes a new friend!_**


	11. Chapter 11

_AN: I don't own Castle but I do own my very own OC who we shall meet in this chapter._

_Okay so here is the highly awaited next chapter of Big Sister. The bottom authors note will contain some other important facts that would be spoilers (sorta) if they were placed up here._

_I hope you enjoy!_

**_IN OTHER NEWS:_**_ Just got a Criminal Minds boxed set for an early birthday gift. Still on season one but I've only been at it for a few days. Loving Morgan, Garcia, Reid, Hotch, JJ and Elle Greenaway. I hope to either write a Fanfic for CM or a crossover so tell me if that is something you would be interested in seeing. (I'll happily cross it with Castle, Supernatural or Bones.)_

_So without further ado!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**

Katherine Beckett's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at a plain white ceiling. Confused at first she remembered where she was, in SoHo, in Richard Castle's loft, in bed. She fought the memories of the past night's dream and she rose from the bed. Walking casually she made her way over to the mirror and stared quickly at her reflection. A tall brunette stared back. Her long light brown hair fell in ripples around her head and her sleep shirt was hanging off one shoulder. She smiled as she noticed that for the first time in years her eyes were freed from their dark circles. She ran a single hand through her hair pulling it further away from her face and dressed herself quickly in a pair of loose sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Kate dashed down the staircase in a hurry and was met with a loud sarcastic voice. As she approached the TV room she noticed that Alexis was curled up before the screen with Monkey Bunkey tucked up to her chest. On the TV screen she noticed a black cat, it was having a heated exchange of a conversation with a young blonde woman.

"Hey Alexis," Kate lowered herself onto the couch.

"Hi Kate, look, look!" Her voice grew a few octaves as she pointed toward the television. "It's Sabrina, Kate, my favourite show in the whole wide world."

Returning the eagerness and enthusiasm Kate questioned the child briefly on favourite characters and episodes before sitting back and watching the show beside Alexis. It was only as the second episode was coming to a close that Alexis had what appeared to be some type of epiphany. Sitting up promptly she clapped her hand over her mouth and muttered something indecipherable.

"What's up? We can watch some more, I'm in no rush to be anywhere." Kate smiled briefly before she adjusted her position on the couch and continued to watch the show.

"No Kate I just realised that I have Clarissa's birthday party today. She sent out her invitations ages ago and daddy said that I'm coming, I suppose that he forgot to tell you."

Now she had the cop's attention. Beckett sat up immediately and stared slightly bewildered at the child. "You have a birthday party today?" She sounded more alarmed then she expected and immediately felt bad that she had spoken to Alexis in such a tone.

"Yeah, it happens when the big hand is on the twelve and the little hand is on the eleven, which is eleven o' clock."

"So in other words you have a party in less than three hours?"

"Yep,"

Beckett let out a short groan and rose from the sofa in search for her cell phone. Swiftly she rotated the small metal device in her hands before she pressed on the contacts and rung Castle.

"What's up, my little pumpkin isn't bothering you is she?" Castle was obviously surrounded by people considering all the muffled background voices.

"No she's an angel, really Castle she's fine." She was smiling unknowingly into the receiver as she spoke to the writer.

"Well if she's fine why are you talking to me like your panties are in a twist?" He was laughingly naughtily into his end of the phone.

"Well unless you're willing to untwist them don't comment."

"Is that an offer?" She pictured his eyebrows rising.

"I don't know Mr Castle," she began seductively, "that's entirely dependent on you."

"Really?"

"No!" She was laughing now and Alexis was flashing her a confused look from her position on the sofa.

"Okay then what do you want?"

"Your daughter claims that she has a birthday party today at eleven. Do you want me to drop her off or something?"

"Oh Clarissa's party," he paused dramatically as he seemed to recall it, "yeah just drop her there and hit the shops or something. The invitation is on the fridge."

Kate propped the phone against her shoulder and cheek as she hurried toward the fridge in search for the invitation. A purple butterfly design piece of paper was stuck to the freezer door with the words 'Clarissa's Seventh Birthday' scrawled in cursive along the top. "Got it Rick, so it has the address on here," she paused, "an apartment in SoHo."

"Yep they're pretty nice people, both Clarissa's parents, just smile and wave Kate."

"Okay cool, thanks Castle I'll text you after she's dropped off." She flashed Alexis a quick thumbs up.

"Thank you Beckett, sorry I forgot to tell you about the party," he paused suddenly and Beckett had to ask quickly what was wrong before he came back on the line. "I just remembered that Alexis has a haircut tomorrow, I'll text you the address."

She sighed; Kate was beginning to feel like a real errands girl but she really didn't mind.

X-X-X-X

"Okay so Alexis Harper Castle what do you want to wear to said party?" Katherine Beckett was standing in the doorway of Alexis' wardrobe. The young girl had just told the cop her full name and Kate suddenly found herself using it.

"This one," Alexis thrust a pink and purple dress at her new friend.

"Wow that's beautiful," Kate took a moment to admire the dress before beckoning the child over and helping her to get dressed. Kate pulled up the zipper at the back of the dress and straightened the skirt before letting the little girl look in the mirror.

"Thanks Kate."

"You're welcome Lex."

X-X-X-X

Katherine had dressed herself in a tight beige pencil skirt and a yellow blouse. On her feet was a pair of yellow pumps and some sunglasses sat atop her head. She was planning on going to the nearby shopping centre after dropping Alexis at the party.

The pair began their walk toward Clarissa's apartment. It was near to Castle's loft so they didn't bother catching a taxi or the subway. Alexis bounded along beside Kate. The little girl had slipped her hand into Kate's and a much to the cop's surprise she began to skip along beside the child.

X-X-X-X

* KNOCK * * KNOCK *

Alexis tapped against Clarissa's door and was eagerly bouncing about beside Beckett. "Kate, Kate do you think that she'll like the gift?"

Alexis was clutching a Barbie doll wrapped in pink tissue paper to her chest. Kate nodded "Yep I know that if I was little I'd like the gift too." She probably wouldn't but saying that would just stress Alexis out.

After a moment of waiting the door opened. Once the Mahogany wood was out the way a blonde woman was revealed. She was dressed in a blue button up blouse and a pair of white jeans covered her legs, her shoulder length blond hair was slightly dishevelled and some creases were spread along her forehead. Kate immediately knew that she must be Clarissa's mom.

"Hi I'm Celeste, Clarissa's mom." She held out her hand and Kate immediately shook it.

"Kate Beckett, I'm a friend of Alexis and her father. I'm just babysitting while Rick's on a book tour." Kate smiled warmly at the lady.

"Oh nice to meet you, Clarissa and Alexis are in the same class at school." Celeste paused and smiled at Alexis, "Good to see you made it to the party, Clarissa, Paige, Jenny and some of the other girls are waiting inside."

Alexis smiled, "Okay Mrs Johansson, I'll go give Clarissa her present." Alexis paused and turned to Kate, "see you soon Kate."

They hugged quickly before the redhead bounded inside. Kate felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she realised that Paige was invited but she shook it away. They were mature enough to put their differences aside for a party weren't they?

Kate turned to Celeste. "Hey are you okay? You look really stressed." She noticed that she still looked worried and she had decided to ask.

The blonde woman just rolled her eyes quickly and shook her head. "I'm fine it's just that my husband was meant to be helping out with this party but he got called in for business. I don't know how I'm going to deal with twelve little girls all on my own."

Suddenly Kate did something stupid. Without due care or thought, for that matter, she offered to help. "Why don't I come in and help out. If you want I can just do some music and serve food or something."

"As long as it's not too much trouble." Celeste didn't really want to get her hopes up but she knew that if this other woman stayed to help it would be much easier for herself and all twelve screaming girls.

Suddenly Kate had an urge to decline, the shrieking could be heard all the way from the other room and she really didn't want to get involved. After pausing for a moment she decided against it. "Yeah it's fine, I was just going to go shopping but I'm happy to help out."

Celeste's eyes lit up as she opened her arms and, much to Kate's surprise, pulled the other woman in a for a hug. "Thank you so much."

Kate just nodded and smiled. She knew that that was what Rick would have done too.

X-X-X-X

"Alright girls I'm just letting you know that we have another adult helper for this party. This here is Alexis' family friend Kate. I would like you to show Kate all of the respect that you would show any of the parents at the school, okay?"

The entire group of little girl's nodded in unison, which was rather cute, before they hurried toward Kate. They took it in turn introducing themselves to the cop and Kate even heard a few girls' whining about how lucky Alexis was to get to be babysat by her. Never in her twenty-one years had Kate had this much to do with kids and much to her surprise she really loved it. Suddenly she hoped one day for a baby of her own.

Celeste turned some music on and she told the girls to dance while she collected the pass the parcel. Katherine followed her into the kitchen and smiled toward the mom.

"They really love you, don't they? Wow you'd think that you were a celebrity of sorts." The pair of women both laughed as though they were best friends not just the only-met-fifteen-minutes-ago women that they were. "Are you a childcare teacher or something? You really are great with kids."

Kate laughed, how was she mistaken for a childcare teacher? Her closed off demeanour and tough New York drawl didn't really indicate that suggestion at all. "I'm nothing like a child care teacher. I'm a cop, I spend all day carrying around guns and snapping handcuffs onto drunk drivers."

Celeste's eyes grew, "Wow I wouldn't have picked it, you're so sweet with those little girls."

Beckett nodded and lent against one of the chairs tucked under the kitchen table. "I might be tough but I still have a heart." She wasn't joking that time; she was stating something that even herself, at times, managed to forget.

X-X-X-X

"Okay girls, it's time for musical bobs!" Celeste was busy in the kitchen warming the party pies so she had put Kate in charge of the games. They had just finished a very long round of pass the parcel. She had to scold the girls a few times for taking to long to actually pass the parcel but other than that it had been fun. Kate watched as a dozen prize-hungry girls gathered before her. She twirled the sound dock's remote around in her hand and counted down from ten. Once she hit one the music began to boom out the speakers and the girls began to dance.

The next twenty minutes were a mix of auto tuned pop songs and statements that mainly sounded like, "Girls a bit more dancing please," or "That was too close, we have to do that round again."

The final two contestants were Alexis and Paige. She knew that bias might come into play if she did this one alone so she decided to grab Celeste to help.

"Hey it's the final round and it's Paige verse mine so I was wondering if you could come judge." It only clicked after she said it. She had called Alexis 'mine' as a mother would call their daughter. She wasn't her mother, she couldn't think like that, she knew that she would have to exit their lives soon enough and probably never see them again. She was screwed up, her mother's murder had done that to her, and she didn't want to inflict that baggage on the others.

As she and Celeste hurried into the other room she realised something that she couldn't deny. She wanted Alexis to grow up as her daughter, she wanted to tuck her in each night, she also wanted Alexis' father. She was already regretting getting mixed up in these people's lives. Love, most of the time, ended up unrequited and she was almost certain that that was the way things were going to go with Castle.

* * *

_AN: Okay so the party has just begun! Who will win Alexis or Paige? This chapter originally had the entire party in it but at five-thousand plus words I decided that it was a bit too long for my liking. Part two will be up next Wednesday._

_So Celeste, how do you like her? I don't think she is a Mary Sue (I actually ran her through a Mary Sue test and she came out clean) and I promise you will learn much more about her in the upcoming chapters. She is loosely based (name wise and a bit of personality) off the character in the book called Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I promise her husband will be much better in this then he was in that though :/ If you are wondering what Celeste looks like I see her as a bit of a Reese Witherspoon with dyed blonde hair. Any questions about my OC I will eagerly answer._

_Apologies for the long Authors Note but I had quite a bit to explain. Hope you can continue spreading the love with your reviews. I take reviews, comments, questions and suggestions. Love you guys!_

**_UP NEXT: The party part two. We learn who wins the game and birthday cake is eaten!_**


	12. Chapter 12

_AN: I don't own Castle, I only own Celeste._

_So it's the party part 2. Thanks again for all of the positive feedback, I love all you guys!_

**_IN OTHER NEWS:_**

_\- It was my birthday on Monday, which was really fun._

_\- I've fallen head over heels in love with Criminal Minds and I think I might have developed a little thing for Dr Reid :)_

_\- I've fallen in love with the ship of Sam and Ruby from Supernatural._

_So hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

Alexis won. Fair and square thanks to Celeste. All the little girls clapped and Alexis chose an extra bouncy ball from the prize bag. She told Kate that she was eager to show it to her daddy. Paige was furious with Alexis though. The small dark haired girl stormed toward the red head and began to yell. Beckett had stopped the fight from escalating by reinstating the prior threat from pick up a few weeks back. She really hoped that Paige's parents wouldn't find out about it though.

"Okay you guys who's hungry?" Celeste entered the room clutching a tray covered with chips and party pies. She laid it down on the table and smiled at Kate, who was putting a Band-Aid on a little girl called Rebecca's paper cut.

"Me, me, me!" The voices chorused and Kate had never seen Alexis so loud before. In public you could see touches of her father in her.

As the children ate Celeste turned to Kate. "So I hope you don't mind me asking but how old are you?" This woman had a certain bluntness about what she decided to say.

"Twenty-one, old enough to drink and drive and do all the exciting things in life."

Celeste looked shocked, "Wow I would have said at least twenty-five." Kate agreed with her. The cop's tall stature and prominent facial features made her look much older. Sometimes she compared pictures taken before her mother died to herself in the mirror now and there was an unmistakeable difference. She looked older and much more driven, she'd most probably have been through more then most people her age and maybe even Celeste.

"Excuse me Kate," Katherine looked down to see a short little brunette girl hanging onto the hem of her skirt.

"Yeah are you okay," Kate paused and read the name scrawled along the girl's nametag, "Cassie?"

Cassie shook her head of brown curls, "Me and my friend Chloe want to drink some lemonade but we need some help pouring it." From behind Cassie Kate saw a blonde girl nod her head and presumed that that must be Chloe.

"Okay girls just lead me to the drink." She felt both her hands be taken by the girls and walked slowly alongside them.

X-X-X-X

"So is there anything between you and Rick?" Celeste was nosey; there was no other word for it.

"I wish-" Kate stopped suddenly and slapped her hand over her mouth. She had just said that, out loud, to someone that she barely knew.

Celeste suddenly looked concerned and laid a hand on Kate's shoulder. "You okay? All the mom's in the school wish they were with him too." She was tilting her blonde head to the side puzzled.

"I just can't believe that I told you that, I barely know you and I'm telling you that I like him, but I don't like him, but I do." Kate's face flushed red as she realised that without thinking she'd really put her foot in it.

Celeste just shrugged; she was perched atop the table and swinging her legs back and forth. "Honey think of me like a psychiatrist, you can tell me what you want and I keep it confidential. Of course you have a crush on the man, you babysit his daughter."

"Don't tell him anything okay, what we said today stays between us." She motioned back and forth with her hand.

"No way, it's up to you to tell him." Kate nodded at Celeste but the last thing that she was planning was to admit any of that to Castle. Somehow she had to slip out of his and Alexis' lives. She felt that she was beginning to overstay her welcome.

X-X-X-X

"Cake girls!" Beckett was ordered by her new 'friend' to gather the girls. The twelve of them were all busy designing their own party bags with pretty stickers and cutouts.

They ran toward Beckett at record speed. Little girls and cake, what more could the traffic cop say? As Alexis passed she confessed to Kate that bag decorating had been so strenuous that she was now famished. Surprised at first that the use of vocabulary she replied to the redhead by claiming that the cake would be filling.

Celeste was almost trampled by the girls as she carried the ice cream cake over. There were scoops of a variety of ice cream flavours surrounded by chocolate shards. Celeste had claimed that the cake had cost a fortune.

Kate felt a small hand slip into hers. She looked down to see Alexis and threw a smile the way of the child. "Hey Lex, enjoying the party?"

"Yep it's pretty fun but I have to get you to talk to Paige after the cake, she's made an anti-Alexis club and forced all the girls to join." Alexis grimaced at the mention of Paige.

Fury welled up slightly in the pit of Beckett's stomach. How could a six year old be so mean? "I'll talk to her after we sing happy birthday, as long as Clarissa's mom doesn't need any help cutting the cake."

Alexis began to reply but Celeste had already indicated for singing to begin. The fourteen females all began to sing. Kate was almost certain that anyone living in the apartments above, below and beside could hear the singing.

X-X-X-X

"Paige I have to talk to you about something." Beckett spoke calmly as she sat herself down on the sofa beside the girl.

Paige licked the ice cream off her spoon and turned toward Beckett. "Yeah why?" She was suddenly acting sweet and innocent with wide eyes and a bulging lower lip.

"Well I've been hearing that you've made an anti-Alexis group, is this true Paige?"

"Maybe I have," the dominating, piercing tone had returned, "but why would you care? Maybe because you want to marry Alexis' dad and you are acting like a goody two shoes to impress him." She paused her eyes shining, "YOU AND ALEXIS' DAD SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Kate rose from the chair, "You're a six year old kid, and I'm a twenty-one year old police woman. Who has more say over this situation?" Her tough cop voice had come back on now. She wasn't going to be nice to a bully, she was going to treat her like the drunk drivers she arrested or the people going well over the speed limit.

Paige backed away obviously remembering the day in the schoolyard before she turned toward the girls. "You can play with Alexis if you want."

Kate was triumphant as she walked away. She wasn't going to let Alexis be bullied or victimised, not over her dead body.

X-X-X-X

"Wow that was something." Kate collapsed exhausted against Celeste's couch. Clarissa's sixth birthday party had just come to a close considering the final mom had just picked up her daughter. Celeste had been so grateful for Beckett's help that she had invited her and Alexis to stay for dinner, which consisted of microwave heated leftover party food. The small red head was really getting along well with Clarissa and the last Kate had heard of her was that she was playing Barbie's in Clarissa's bedroom.

"And it's only going to get worse as they get older, you think six was bad just think about what sixteen will be like." The other woman poured a glass of red wine. "Want one," she thrust it toward Kate.

Katherine let her fingers slip around the glass and she took a large sip, "I could use a few after that party."

Celeste let off a terrible high-pitched laugh had she had been using all-day and nodded, "Agreed," She took a long sip then looked up at Kate, "you know what?"

"What?" Kate adjusted a hair behind her ear before making eye contact with the blonde.

"Well Kate Beckett you are the most genuine good person that I think I have ever met. You have your flaws, you are most definitely harbouring something depressing, I can tell when your eyes glaze over and you look down at your feet but other then that you were a real pleasure to meet."

As Kate twiddled her thumbs she considered the possibility that Celeste could actually have been a psychiatrist. Was it that obvious that she was still hurting?

Kate pushed her thoughts aside and smiled. "You are a real pleasure to meet too Celeste, I think I had a better time here then I would have if I had spent it in the mall."

They both laughed. "Well I think I have to make a toast - " she was cut off by the sudden whirring of Kate's cell phone. The detective scooped it up and saw Rick Castle written along the spot for caller ID.

After mouthing Castle at Celeste she hurried into the hallway. "Hey Rick what's up? All okay in LA?"

_"Brilliant in the sunshine state thanks for asking," _he paused to take a breath, _"I was just ringing to check on the girls. How did the party go? Did you find the apartment?"_

Kate chuckled at his obvious worry, "Yeah, yeah Castle we found it fine, we're still there and it's been going fine."

_"Still there?"_ He sounded alarmed, _"I thought it ended at three, is it really wild? Did they smuggle alcohol?" _

She cut the questions off quickly, "No, no it's fine. You know Celeste?"

_"Who?"_

"Tall, blonde with a bad laugh?"

_"Oh yeah her, party girl's mom. What about her?"_

"Well her husband had to go back to work so she asked me to help out with the party. I played some music and helped serve the food, stuff like that. She asked Alexis and I hang back for leftovers which is why we're still here."

She heard a sigh of relief followed by a laugh. _"You, Kate Beckett, helping at a kid's party, wow I wish I was there to see that."_

"You want a photo Rick?"

_"Yeah,"_

"I'm your dreams."

They said a quick flurry of goodbyes and she promised that Alexis would ring to say goodbye yet again.

"You have fun in LA Castle, heard there were plenty of chest for you to sign." She was grinning cheekily into the receiver.

_"Ha, ha, I think you're just jealous. Have fun in New York Beckett."_

She hung up the cell and tucked it in her pocket before making her way into the other room.

"What did he want?" Celeste was most likely on her second or third glass by now.

"Just to check how the party went."

"Hope you told him that there were strippers and vodka."

"I didn't want to give him a heart attack." Kate laughed softly as she plopped down beside Celeste.

"As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, I was about to make a toast," she paused and lifted her glass, "to new friends."

Kate smiled, "To new friends."

She suddenly felt another weight be lifted from her shoulders. She wondered how just by knowing Richard Castle that she could manage to receive so much happiness.

* * *

_AN: So that's that. Expect another chapter next Wednesday. Please review, comments, questions and suggestions are all greatly __appreciated. Thanks for all of the support!_

**_UP NEXT: Kate takes Alexis to the hairdresser!_**


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_Apologies for the late update, I've been on holidays and had no Wi-Fi access._

_So here's to chapter 13!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 13**

**Rick Castle: **Carmela's hair and beauty, Upper East Side. Alexis' hairdresser: Nadine. Thanks again.

**Kate Beckett: **No probs, we'll find our way there. Alexis and I are just enjoying some pancakes at a nearby coffee shop.

**Rick Castle: **Sounds like fun, wish I were there. Tell Lex that I love her.

**Kate Beckett: **Will do.

X-X-X-X

"So Nadine huh? Is she a nice hairdresser?" Kate tucked her cell back in the pocket of her lime green leather jacket and continued walking along beside Alexis.

The young girl was dressed in a thick white jacket with a pink scarf and some jeans. Winter was coming to Manhattan hard and fast and the girls really felt it on their early morning walk to the salon.

"Yeah Nadine is super nice. She always only cuts off a little bit of my hair and she asks me about school." Alexis continued to skip. "Are you going to get your hair cut Kate?"

Katherine felt her finger's run through her long dark brown hair and suddenly she had an idea. This was the same hair that she had had through high school, that she had covered her face with when she was crying, that had seen her through the worst parts of her life and she wanted to try and forget that part. As she thought about the child's statement she decided that she wanted a change. She didn't want to cut it off she just wanted it coloured. Maybe some highlights adding a blonde touch, sort of like the colour of Celeste's hair.

"I think I actually might Alexis, good idea."

"Don't get it cut like a boy though, long hair makes you look pretty." The alarmed look on Alexis' face forced a smile onto Kate's lips.

"Don't worry I think long hair makes me look pretty too."

X-X-X-X

As the pair of girls entered the hair salon a bell above the door sounded capturing the attention of a tall woman with Ombre hair. She approached them rapidly and Kate wondered whether she was Nadine, Carmela or someone totally different.

"Hello so you must be Nadine's nine o' clock." So she wasn't Nadine then, Kate thought to herself.

"Nope I am," standing on tiptoes in an effort to make herself appear taller Alexis smiled toward the woman. "I come here all the time with my daddy."

A slow chuckle escaped the woman's mouth, "Oh Alexis you must excuse me I didn't see you there. Your dad did ring up this morning to check the appointment was still on for today." She paused and motioned toward Beckett, "so who's this?"

Alexis grinned vibrantly, "This is Kate Beckett and she's a cop. My daddy asked her to look after me while he's on a book tour."

The woman, who Kate presumed was Carmela bent over and smiled, "That's nice." Beckett thought that she'd get a few more questions, for example how the hell she even knew a millionaire author but Carmela seemed a bit distant. "So Alexis how much hair are we cutting off today?" Carmela used her thumb and finger to display different sizes. Alexis claimed that she only wanted a trim, meaning about half an inch. Kate hadn't been told how much Alexis needed to get cut off so she just let the girl choose.

Carmela nodded and led Alexis over to chair; she made the child wait while she grabbed a cushion to prop Alexis up on. The red head obeyed everything that Carmela said and waited patiently for Nadine to take over. Nadine was a tall brunette with a flurry of luscious locks. She smiled at Alexis before tightening a salon cape around her shoulders.

Kate, after catching a glimpse of her own mass of brown locks in the mirror, remembered that she was also there to get her hair done too. She wandered casually to the front desk where Carmela was standing gnawing at a piece of gum and tapping her manicured nails impatiently against the keyboard.

"Hey, you're the cop right?" Carmela looked up from the screen and tilted her head.

"Yeah,"

"Somethin' up with Alexis, I know that Rick is very picky with how her hair is done -"

Kate felt her muscles tighten, the last thing she needed was to butcher his daughter's hair.

Carmela chuckled "Don't fret honey the kid knows to the last inch how her daddy wants her hair cut. Is there something you wanted to ask me about?"

Remembering back to what her initial intentions were she nodded, "Yeah I was wondering if I could have a hair cut, this hair's been with me for a while and a change can't hurt."

Carmela's smile grew, "I'm going to make you the most beautiful cop in the LAPD."

"NYPD," Carmela was nice but a bit airy, Kate had to admit.

X-X-X-X

"Okay so did you read that Kylie Jenner is trying to outdo Kim, like selfie wise and all that?" Carmela was mumbling on to herself. Kate had zoned out ages ago and was paying more attention to the slight scuff marks on the ends of her pumps then a single word coming out of Carmela's mouth.

The hairdresser had promised a complete and utter do over, which she had specified – much to Kate's relief- wouldn't involve much major cutting. As she glanced up to the mirror she saw that her hair was filled with foils and that Carmela was happily trimming away at a long strand. She eased her head back into position and closed her eyes.

X-X-X-X

"So you ready to meet the new Kate?" Carmela's shrill tone woke Beckett from her slumber. Unbeknownst to herself she seemed to have drifted off at one point.

She nodded as she glanced toward the mirror. Carmela made a type of drumroll with her tongue as she pulled away the towel that was encasing Kate's hair. With a swift movement of the black material Kate's locks escaped and fell freely around her shoulders. They were an array of blonde and brown, not just the dull mousey brown colour that she had had since she was born. Her roots were the darkest point and from there onwards brown's and gold's rippled over her shoulder's like the ocean waves. She shook her head quickly watching as the loose curls followed her every moves and she let a smile form on her lips. Just the way her hair had changed made her feel almost new again. It was as though trimming the loose ends and dying the strands brighter mirrored her experience so far with Alexis and Castle. She turned to Carmela and nodded, "It's beautiful."

X-X-X-X

**To:** CelesteTheBlondeMom

**From:** KBeckettNYPD

**Subject:** Look at me

_Attachment: 1 image_

Hit the salon with Alexis, thought I should show you the magic my ditzy hairdresser worked.

-l-l-l-l-

**To:** KBeckettNYPD

**From:** CelesteTheBlondeMom

**Subject:** DAMN YOU!

How can someone be so damn beautiful? Extremely jealous of you Kate Beckett! If I could have even one tenth of your beauty I would be forever grateful. Tell me the name of that hairdresser; I wonder if her magic is powerful enough to make a slight dint in my blonde mess?

X-X-X-X

Kate smiled as she skipped along beside Alexis. The pair had just finished getting their hair done and after quickly emailing a jealous and slightly loathsome Celeste they had left the salon. Alexis look pretty much the same considering the child had sternly told Nadine that she despised change. Kate wondered how many long words the child picked up from her father reciting his book transcripts around the house even though Castle claimed that Martha did all the reciting.

"Kate you look super beautiful, the blonde and light colours really make your hair look bright." Alexis was smiling as she examined Kate's hair.

"Yours looks nice too." Nadine had done it up in a big white bow so now as the child walked her ponytail swished from side to side.

"Thanks Kate," Alexis paused and pointed toward a coffee shop. With her arm still extended she began to speak, "Can we go in there? They make the best cheesecake in all of New York."

"Alright," Kate Beckett still couldn't say no to Alexis Castle.

They entered the café and helped themselves to a table. A short smiling waitress took their order and they waited patiently. It was only when their cheesecake arrived that Alexis asked a question.

The young girl was scooping their shared cheesecake into her mouth when she turned to Kate. "You know you still haven't told me if you have a crush on daddy or not."

She thought that that conversation was long forgotten. She had put it behind her. Still in a state of disbelief she scooped a mound of cheesecake in her mouth. She had no idea what to tell the child.

"So?"

She wasn't giving up. Kate felt a smile slip onto her lips as she looked toward the young girl. "Your daddy is a very nice man sweetie. I like him very much."

"So you have a crush?"

Kate shook her head, "Maybe sweetie maybe."

X-X-X-X

**KATHERINE BECKETT: **Your daughter and I hit the salon today. Hope you're okay with what they did with Lex's hair.

**RICHARD CASTLE: **Looks beautiful, what about you?

**KATHERINE BECKETT: **They did mine too.

**RICHARD CASTLE: **And a very good job they did.

X-X-X-X

Kate's cheeks flushed red as she pushed the phone back into her pocket. Something about this man complementing her on her hair made her heart flutter. Alexis was peering at her puzzled, "Does daddy like my hair?"

Kate nodded, "He said you look beautiful which I agree with him on entirely." They swiftly passed a pair of businessmen engrossed in a conversation and a young mom pushing a pram with a baby inside. At the sound of the wailing Kate immediately felt sorry for the woman. The child looked like a real handful.

"Wow a crying baby, I wonder why it is so sad?" Alexis spoke suddenly as she unclasped her hand from Kate. Before the cop even had time to try and call the young girl over Alexis had reached the mom. Beckett began to sprint but slowed down as she approached, she heard the child talking.

"Why is your baby crying Miss?"

Kate snuck up behind the child and looped her arm around Alexis' shoulders. She tried to apologise to the woman but she was already talking to Alexis. "Well I've been running around town all day trying to get presents for a friend's thirtieth and Rose here hasn't been paid full attention like usual." The mother chuckled softly as she looked admiringly down toward her child.

Alexis nodded knowingly, almost like one of those TV show psychologists. "I know what to do," the red head began, "my daddy is a baby whisperer you see? He taught me how to calm a crying baby." The matter-o-fact tone in the child voice made for a smile from both members of her audience.

Alexis turned to face Rose and slowly began to tickle the child's toes. Kate turned quickly to the mother, "I'm sorry about her, I tried to convince her to stay but she decided that she knew how to calm the tears."

Rose's mother smiled, "Well I don't mind. You see I've been hearing this wailing since nine am this morning and if she can actually calm the tears I'll be forever grateful."

The pair of women watched as the wails turned to coos. Alexis and Rose smiled at each other while Rose's mom expressed nothing more then disbelief.

When the pair's were back in their respective order the mother turned to Kate. "I hope one day I have a daughter as special as yours."

Kate smiled and didn't correct her mistake. She liked being mistaken for Alexis' mom; parts of her wished to the furthest possible extent that she actually was. "She is pretty special isn't she?"

They parted ways and Beckett turned to Alexis. The cop scolded the child briefly on stranger danger before she smiled and congratulated the child on her good deed.

Alexis smiled, "It's what my daddy would have done."

* * *

_AN: Thanks for your continued support. Reviews are appreciated greatly!_

**_UP NEXT: Kate and Alexis have a fashion show, Celeste has an epiphany and the girl's have guests._**


	14. Chapter 14

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_Chapter 14 is up and I am here to thank you for all of the positivity on my other chapters! Thanks for all the love, it makes me feel really happy and appreciated!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 14**

**TO:** KBeckettNYPD

**FROM:** CelesteTheBlondeMom

**SUBJECT:** I HAD AN EPIPHANY

Okay so excuse the caps lock but I just had a brilliant idea. Was reading novel. SO. DAMN. SAD. So anyways I thought that we should start a book club so we can all cry together like the dramatic old bags that we are at heart. Will text the other mom's if you agree but I thought I should tell you first since you're not all involved in the rubbish schoolyard politics or on the PTA. I consider you a close friend too Kate.

Celeste, bored and tired of watching six year old spinning like a ballerina and falling on her butt.

X-X-X-X

**TO:** CelesteTheBlondeMom

**FROM:** KBeckettNYPD

**SUBJECT:** re: I HAD AN EPIPHANY

That sounds interesting Celeste but I'm not a school mom. Am I really allowed to be part of this club? Which other mom's are you planning on inviting? I don't know any besides you. Hope you're having fun being a ballet spectator, Alexis and I are planning on having a fashion show later today but we're about to begin colouring now.

Have to ring you later to discuss club.

_Kate_

X-X-X-X

"Kate who were you texting?" Alexis Castle looked up from the picture book that she was reading and tilted her head toward Kate.

The detective smiled and acknowledged the child's curiosity. "I was just emailing Celeste, your friend Clarissa's mom. She wants to start a book club."

Alexis nodded; she already seemed to have lost interest in the last topic. "So can we draw now?" A large pencil case filled with textas and pencils was made visible. The child spread the drawing utensils along the top of the table and smiled a toothy grin.

Kate nodded and pulled out a kitchen chair allowing herself to sit down. "So what are we drawing today Miss Alexis?" Kate ran her fingers over a sheet of A4 paper and tapped a black felt tip lightly.

"Well I want to draw my family but you can draw whatever you want. We have to share the felt tips though because daddy got me really expensive artist ones and I only have one set."

Kate smiled, "Okay we'll share but you have to guess what I'm drawing."

Alexis nodded and Kate took a moment to observe the child before she began. Alexis grabbed a black felt tip and had begun to form four people standing in a row. Three were tall but the fourth was a child's height. Kate gathered that the short one must be Alexis. The child coloured two lots of the hair orange and the other two brown. Meredith must be a brunette Katherine decided.

Soon enough Kate began her own drawing. Alexis didn't appear to need any assistance. The cop had never been much of an artist, even as a child, but she had a basic idea of what a human looked like. With a thin felt tip Kate began to draw the child sitting across from her, not in a realistic form but a more comical cartoon like way. She drew large blue eyes and coloured the child's shirt a bright purple. With the use of an orange marker she drew wisps of hair blowing out from the child's head before she scrawled a big lavender bow tying it all together. Above the head she wrote the name 'Alexis' in a poor take on cursive handwriting.

"Kate I'm done." The cop had been so invested in her own picture that she had lost track of Alexis'. She shifted her attention to the child and listened as the explanation began.

"So here I drew my family. In my family I have my daddy and I also have my grams - " she pointed to her drawing of her father, a dark haired man, and of her grams, a red headed woman before she turned back to Kate " - but I have another special honorary family member too."

Katherine watched as she pointed to the last person on the drawing, a tall brunette was smiling a wide smile. The woman was dressed in a loose red t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans, which was exactly what Kate was dressed in today. The child hadn't drawn her mom, she had drawn Kate, and it warmed the woman's heart beyond belief.

"You drew me and not your mom, why?"

Alexis tilted her head, "You know why silly. You're here to give me hugs and to help me with my schoolwork. My mom is never here; my mom hasn't hugged me since I was a little girl. I can't even remember the last hug that she gave me."

Beckett's heart immediately started to swell with pride. She was proud that this six year old looked at her as a motherly figure. She was also slightly devastated that she would most likely end up breaking the child's heart. "I'll hang it on my fridge as soon as I get home." She was telling the truth.

Alexis peered toward Kate's drawing. "Is that me?" The child examined the redhead that had been neatly scrawled on the page before Beckett.

"Yep, I needed something for your refrigerator too." On that note Alexis had already hurried toward the fridge and pinned up the artwork in pride of place. Kate admitted to herself that it actually looked pretty good.

X-X-X-X

"Let's have a fashion show!" That exclamation was what immediately reminded Beckett of a summer back when she was still a teenager. She'd tried modelling for a magazine but really it had never been her passion. She turned toward Alexis and wondered what the six year olds fashion show would entail.

"All we have to do is get dressed up in some of our favourite clothes and parade around the catwalk which is the long rug. It's not very hard at all."

"Okay, okay." Kate wasn't sure if it was Alexis' myriad of prompting or her pleading eyes that had won her over in the end. She smiled at Alexis' flurry of claps and followed the child up the stairs. They entered her bedroom and Alexis' requested that Beckett kept quiet because Monkey Bunkey was napping.

"So I have my cupboard to use and you have your suitcase. We have twenty minutes to get ready before we will meet back in the living room next to the runway, which is the rug." She spoke in a hushed tone and motioned toward her closet. Beckett nodded in agreement and crept the down the hall.

She reached her suitcase and unzipped it swiftly. She had only brought some shirts and jeans considering she wasn't planning on doing much, especially not a fashion show. She continued to rummage and remembered that she packed an orange dress. It was a loose wrap around type of thing with a flurry of warm colours covering the material. She decided that this was a bit more suitable for a fashion show.

Kate hurriedly pulled off her jeans and slid out of her shirt before she let the material of the dress encase her form. She removed a pair of red pumps from her suitcase and slipped them onto her feet before she headed toward the bathroom with her bathroom bag.

She stood before the large mirror and slowly coated her pair of thin slightly chapped lips in bright red lipstick. She used an eyeliner pencil to draw a neat wing like shape off the corners of each eye before she finished it off with a swipe of mascara. She scooped up her hair into a messy bun and tied a tie around it. She pulled some strands free letting them fall freely over her cheeks and smiled briefly at her reflection. The woman smiling back at her wasn't the same woman she had known a few short months ago. She was more carefree, she had a forehead that was almost crease free and her lips were curved up into a grin. It was also evident that she had spent most of that day worrying about the book club instead of her mother's homicide, which was something that she never could have predicted or even believed.

X-X-X-X

"Alexis I'm ready," Beckett tapped on the child's door and when no answer followed she pushed down on the handle. Much to her surprise Alexis and Monkey Bunkey were both long gone. She saw the child's clothes from before folded on the bed and wondered if she learnt these habits from Castle or his mother.

She suddenly heard music coming from downstairs. As she disembarked the staircase she correctly recognised it as Britney Spears. It was streaming out from some speakers that were sitting atop the hallstand.

Alexis approached her, a smile on the child's face. "You look wonderful Kate."

"You too Lex." Alexis was much more creative then Beckett was what the cop decided. The child had dressed herself in a white dress with back and silver glittery spots. She had wrapped a see through silver scarf around her shoulders and on her feet were a pair of black, glittery ballet flats. She had obviously tried her very best to apply pink lip-gloss and silver eye shadow and on her cheeks she had drawn a pair of black stars in with what appeared to be an eye pencil.

"So Monkey Bunkey is the judge." She pointed toward the other side of the room where she had set up a table and a kiddie chair. The monkey was sitting on the chair and he was dressed in a bowtie and sunglasses. Kate chuckled at the sight. "And we are the contestants."

"Okay so what do we do first?" Kate had never played the game before.

"To the end of the hall we go," Alexis motioned with her hands as she lead Beckett along, "and now we take it in turns to walk down the catwalk. I'll go first."

The child waited for the next song to begin before beginning on her trek down the catwalk. She paused, posed and blew kisses toward her Monkey before striking her final pose at the end of the mat and beginning back to Beckett.

"Look it's not very hard." Alexis wiped her forehead quickly and smiled toward Kate.

Kate shrugged and continued onto the catwalk. She began strolling rather fast but as she approached the far end of the corridor she slowed down. She walked with brisk strides moving her hips from side to side and blowing kisses. She heard Alexis giggle from behind her as she struck a pose for Monkey Bunkey. Her hand was on hip and her lips were pursed.

By the time she had made it back to Alexis they were both in fits of giggles. Kate laughed softly alongside the child and she felt at ease.

* * *

_AN: So I hope you enjoyed. Please take a moment to review and say what you thought._

_I plan on uploading a Supernatural character study sort of one shot later today so keep your eyes peeled for that if you are interested._

_**UP NEXT: Celeste pays Kate a visit and Alexis and her friend make a mess!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_AN: I don't own Castle._

_Okay so I'm sorry about the huge wait, yes two weeks, it won't happen again. I've just been busy as hell on Supernatural fanfics and I sorta forgot to update. A bazillion apologies._

_So here's chapter 15, incase you've forgotten Castle's on a book tour and Kate's babysitting Alexis._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 15**

Celeste tightened her hand around the much smaller one of her daughter. The pair of girls had braved the freezing cold New York weather to go and visit Clarissa's friend Alexis' house. Celeste was eager to discuss her bright idea with her new friend but she liked talking in the flesh more. The tall blonde tapped on the door lightly and waited for it to be open. After a few moments the handle moved and the door slid open to reveal Kate. She looked very, very nice with her hair tied in a messy bun and perfect makeup. Celeste wondered why the pair was so dressed up; maybe she and Clara had picked a bad time.

"You look wonderful, why?" Celeste ran her manicured fingers through her blonde locks. Despite her obvious attempts every morning Celeste never managed to look better then the other woman. She didn't think that Kate went to any great efforts to improve her exterior but just that she was a very attractive women.

Beckett adjusted her stance and smiled slightly toward the pair that was gracing the loft's doorstep. "Alexis and I were just having a fashion show."

The blonde nodded knowingly considering that she had partaken in a fair few with her own daughter. "So we came at a bad time then?"

Beckett shook her head quickly, "No, no we were just finishing up." A smile spread across the cop's face and she slowly seemed to let one of her many walls lift up.

"Alright good then because I was hoping that we could discuss this potential business venture."

Beckett let her eyes roll, she was pretty sure that Celeste was referring to the email that she had received that morning. "This is the book club right?"

"Yep, look here I have a note pad for some ideas," a tattered looking pad was revealed from Celeste's large Chanel purse, "And I have a whole class list with parent phone numbers for us to ring today to advertise-"

"Whoa Celeste," Beckett cut her friend off suddenly, "I thought we were only going to start a book club not a business empire."

The shorter woman appeared sheepish, "Well, well I suppose we have to start somewhere and a class list is a good idea."

"Okay, okay." Beckett beckoned Celeste inside. Alexis had already dragged Clarissa up the staircase and she could tell the girls had lots planned.

X-X-X-X

The women settled around the kitchen table and Celeste spread her binder of book club ideas along the surface. Beckett had made them both a latte and she had dug up some chocolate chip cookies.

"So do you want me to tell you what I have already?" Celeste sipped her latte leaving a frothy milk moustache along her top lip.

"Okay, I suppose…" Kate wasn't so sure how serious her friend was about this whole idea but she asked anyway.

"Well I've been thinking all day about a name for our little club and I feel that it should be called 'Cover to Cover' but with a number two in replacement of the word 'to' to give it a modern vibe." Celeste was motioning all over the place with her hands. "I also think we should meet once a week on a Wednesday night at different locations. All the members start a roster together and we take it in turns to host the meetings."

Surprised that Celeste stopped speaking for long enough for her to get a word in Kate had begun to speak. "That sounds good but how many people do we want? And what type of books do we want to read?"

"Well…" Celeste paused as she began scrawling the ideas they had so far in her messy penmanship, "We could always just ring every mom in the class and then we'll get our numbers from there. We'll read everything from chick-lit to Mills and Boon."

"That isn't the widest variety of books though."

"Darling that is the only type worth reading."

Kate sighed and took Castle's home phone off the hook. She could tell that they were to clock up a fair few phone bills for the author.

X-X-X-X

About two hours later they had eight candidates, beside themselves, for the club. Seven of them were moms and there was one dad. When they had rung his house and explained about the club the woman had passed the phone over to him immediately saying that he liked that sort of thing. Kate and Celeste didn't expect him to actually accept their offer but he had claimed that he was planning on starting a new book and he thought that it would be fun to do it with the 'girls'.

"So you, me, Jenny, Angelica, Krista, Ellen, Anna, Claire, Jane and James in the club then?"

Beckett scanned over the notepad as Celeste listed the names and nodded approvingly. She wondered how the other woman had such a good memory considering that she could barely remember one of the names once she looked up from the paper.

"So when will we have our first meeting?"

Celeste paused and bunched her lips as she thought this through. "Well it's a Wednesday today and we are so not ready for a meeting so what about next Wednesday, at my place, we'll send out text alerts saying the time, place and book."

Beckett smiled at the thought of the poor people being bombarded by Celeste's erratic texts. "So what book?"

"Yes you asked the million dollar question, it's called 'What Alice Forgot' and it's about some woman getting knocked out and waking up to find that she has forgotten the last decade or so of her life."

"And you heard about it how?"

"Cosmopolitan review whilst getting my hair cut."

"Oh wow surprise, surprise."

X-X-X-X

**Celeste Johansson: **_So thanks for joining 'Cover 2 Cover' I'm just here to let you know that we have our very first meeting next Wednesday starting at 5pm and going for as long as we need it to. 423 Broome Street, NYC. We'll be reading 'What Alice Forgot' by Liane Moriarty. FYI: You will be required to supply your own copy of that novel and it is readily available from local libraries and bookstores. See you then!_

_Cheers Celeste __J_

X-X-X-X

The pair of women checked briefly on their children who were very busy playing a game of Uno. They headed back downstairs and poured themselves a celebratory glass of wine. It wasn't everyday that you actually managed to set up a book club. They were busy discussing the details when the first of many replies to Celeste's text sounded.

**Jenny Ryan: **_Cover 2 Cover sounds like great fun, will go to local library later today w/ Sarah Grace and will pick up a copy. Can't wait for Thursday._

**James Williams: **_Most exciting thing anyone has done at the school in ages. Celeste you are an angel, must convince the wife to let me go shopping with her so I can grab the book._

**Ellen Harvelle: **_Not really the bookish type but the club sounds interesting will have to dig up copy._

**Jane Rogers: **_Thank you for letting me know, hubby will be out for business so will have to find babysitter. I read a review about that book, sounds good._

X-X-X-X

Kate watched as Celeste put her phone away. They had received all eight RSVPs for the first meeting that next Wednesday.

"I can't believe we actually pulled that off." Kate sipped her red wine and smiled.

"I believe it Kate, who can say no to me?" She was mocking her friend and that warranted a quick laugh but Celeste still couldn't believe it either.

X-X-X-X

Celeste and Clarissa had already gone home and left a very tired and worn out pair of girl's in the Castle loft. Alexis yawned and leaned against Kate. The traffic cop ruffled the child's red hair and let a yawn escape her own mouth also.

"Wow I'm really tired," Alexis murmured to Kate. The child had spent the entire afternoon running about the house with her little friend Clara while Kate had did the spent it sitting at the kitchen table with Celeste, Clara's mom.

"I know you are sweetie, I am too." Kate slowly stroked the child's forehead and pushed a few strands of red hair behind an ear.

"Can we go to bed?"

Kate was surprised that Alexis didn't want to see a movie but she supposed that they were both feeling worn out. "We must ring your dad first though to say goodnight."

"Of course."

Kate fished her phone out of her pocket and pressed on Rick's speed dial. She held the phone to her ear and listened in on the ringing before a voice filled the other end of the line.

_"Hey Kate I was hoping to get a phone call from you," _Kate heard muffled voices on the other end of the line.

"I haven't interrupted anything have I?"

_"Nah, nah I'm just doing my VIP book launch party in San Francisco. I'm really missing both you girls though." _

Both, he was missing her too. Something about that caused Kate's heart to skip a beat. "So you're out of LA already then?"

_"Yep, in an out, that's life in the book business. Only three more days and I'll be back in Manhattan. Mother should meet you at the loft tomorrow, she rang me to say that she was still coming home." _Castle sounded eager to see them all again. She knew that Alexis was missing him greatly.

"Oh yeah I forgot about Martha. Alexis and I were planning on going to the mall tomorrow, I can ask if she wants to come-"

The officer was cut off by a small voice, "Kate can I speak to daddy now?" She looked down to see Alexis tugging on her sleeve.

_"Is that Lex?" _Rick was curious.

"Yeah she wants to say goodnight." Kate passed the phone over to the child and listened as Alexis babbled on with her father.

"-and I was playing with Clara today and her mommy was talking with Kate. Yes daddy I love you too and I promise I'm being good for Kate."

The detective tuned out and leant against the back of the couch. The gentle sound of Alexis' giggles were comforting as she closed her eyes and felt a smile spread across her lips.

* * *

_AN: Thanks for reading and make sure to review. I love all of your feedback, it's great!_

_**UP NEXT: Martha returns home and the three girls hit the mall!**_

_I promise to update sooner!_


	16. Chapter 16

_AN: I don't own Castle_

_Apologies for the huge hiatus. I just got busy watching and writing other things and Big Sister was left on the backbench. I hope to get with more regular updates now that the show is back on and I hope that everyone is still interested on __finding out how this is going._

_So it's time for an exciting chapter, Enjoy!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 16**

"Darlings, how are you two doing?" Martha Rogers' voice boomed across the room as she entered the hallway through the front door.

Alexis and Kate looked up from the picture book that they had been reading and both smiled quickly at the older woman. Alexis, who was excited to see her grandmother, sprung up from the sofa and hurried toward Martha's readily open arms.

"Grams I missed you so much, how was the play?"

Martha loosened her embrace around Alexis' little body and smiled a white-toothed smile. "Brilliant, I am so very glad that you asked. I took their breaths away, every single one of them. I did a brilliant job at playing the lead role, I was unforgettable."

Martha's flamboyant hand movements forced a smile onto Kate's face. "Well congratulations then." Neither of the girl's had noticed that Kate was standing watching them.

Martha hurried over to the brunette, her bright red lipstick coated lips moved up into a smile. "Oh Kate thank you so much, you really were a lifesaver for Richard and myself, we could never have hired a babysitter for so long." Martha's arms enveloped the woman's thin frame. A strong cloud of flowery perfume surrounded the cop as she returned the hug.

"Oh anytime Martha, Alexis and I had a blast and I'm more than happy to help out Richard when I can." Kate pulled away and adjusted her NYPD t-shirt. One sleeve was falling down and exposing both her pale shoulder and high shoulder bone.

The actress nodded but it seemed that her attention was yet again cast over Alexis. She smiled at the child and twisted a strand of dyed, curly, orange hair behind her ear. "So Alexis I was thinking of taking you and Kate down to the mall today. What do you think about that idea?"

Kate already knew what Alexis was sure to say. The child was too polite to turn down anything let alone an offer to go to the mall. "It sounds wonderful Grams, I'll have to go grab my coat." And with that the child was off down the hallway. Kate felt a touch relieved that Alexis had already dressed nicely that morning. The child had insisted on wearing a light red sweater and some black jeans. Kate herself thought that a loose t-shirt and shorts that were too short were fine for the day.

Martha turned to Kate, "So how was she? Did you have any problems?" The older woman appeared alarmed, an expression, which didn't seem to have been in her repertoire while Alexis had been in the room.

Kate shook her hands out before her, "No, no, no. She was absolutely fine, I didn't have a single issue." She recounted about the book club, party, hairdresser and even the incident in the park, which had earned a smile from Martha.

"She sounds like an angel."

Kate chuckled at the truth to Martha's statement, "She really does."

X-X-X-X

The trio of girls hit the mall, they shopped for a few hours and after fatigue started to kick in slightly they helped themselves to a coffee and a hot chocolate. Kate settled her shopping bags around the feet of her chair and let out a sigh of relief as the aching soles of her feet finally were allowed to rest. She slipped off the heels and rubbed eagerly at the balls of her feet massaging them quickly.

"So Kate do you want to see the book that I got?" Alexis' voice snapped Kate out of her trance. She dropped the foot, which had been resting on her thigh, to the ground and felt it make its way back into her pump.

"Yeah sweetie, what book was it?" As Kate waited for her to open the Barnes and Noble bag and watched as she revealed a pretty pink book with a cat on the front.

"It's a 'Magic Kitten' book and Clara was reading one just like it the other day at school and I asked her what it was called and she said Magic Kitten and that it was a big girl book." Kate was shocked that the child had just said all of that without taking a breath. Alexis was a sweet girl but the fact that she overused 'and' sometimes made her the slightest bit tiring.

"So is it about cats then?" Stupid question Kate, she scolded herself as she adjusted her weight on the chair.

"Yeah it's about this magic lion who becomes a cat. It's a big girl book because it only has a few black and white pictures and plenty of words." Alexis flicked through the pages.

Kate turned toward Martha who had change from pale white, to crimson, to bright red. She was peering at the screen of her cell phone and shaking her head.

"What's up Martha?" Kate sipped her latte as she awaited the response.

"Oh I just got a message from someone saying that they watched my performance two nights ago. His name was Chet, he was my high-school sweetheart." Martha paused as her phone vibrated to indicate that another message was coming through. "And he wants to take me out for dinner tonight to discuss my performance."

Kate shook her head; even an old woman had a more active love life then herself. The last time Kate had kissed someone had to have been one of those drunken nights a couple of years back when her mother first died. The last time she had ever been in love with someone was…never. She had never felt love for a single living human being, well beside Richard, and that was never going to go anywhere.

"Will you go with him then tonight?" Alexis piped up.

Martha turned beetroot red again, "Maybe I will. I still have to think about it though."

Kate knew that Martha was going to go, she turned to Alexis and nudged her lightly. "I think it's going to be just the two of us again tonight."

X-X-X-X

**RICHARD CASTLE: **Good news will be home early. Pennsylvania branch of book tour is cancelled and I should be back later today. Am boarding the plane now.

**KATE BECKETT: **Sounds wonderful, at your place right now doing a puzzle with Lex. See you later today.

X-X-X-X

"YAAY, YAAY! DADDY'S COMING HOME TODAY!" The young girl had invented her very own song to use to express her happiness and enthusiasm toward the news that Beckett had just told her.

"Yeah it is pretty exciting. You have a lot to tell him." _You do too Kate, you have to tell him that you like him_. She banished the voice in her head and turned yet again to face the puzzle that set was set out along the coffee table.

"I know I have to tell him about Clarissa's party and about the fashion show and the picture that I drew." Alexis' concentration had moved away from the puzzle as she spoke at a pace that was a touch too fast.

"You want to finish the puzzle?" Alexis was already standing up and bouncing around excitably.

The child shrugged, "Yeah it will speed up time until daddy gets home." Alexis collapsed back onto the ground and leaned against Kate.

The two of them worked at the puzzle silently until Alexis spoke. They were on the last part of the puzzle and Kate was pretty sure that Rick would be walking through that door at any moment. Martha was still in her room readying herself for her dinner date. The child looked up at the traffic cop, "Kate, thank you for looking after me when daddy was away. You know how you said that you're like my big sister? Well I think that you would make an even better mommy. Will you be sticking around after daddy comes back?"

It was like a knife penetrating through her already fragile and partly broken heart. She wanted to stay with Alexis for as long as possible but she also knew that if Richard was to fall for another woman there would be no real reason for her to be there. Castle would find her visits awkward and she knew that if she were the other woman she wouldn't want someone hanging about with her boyfriend's kid. She felt conflicted but decided to lie, she wasn't going to transfer that knife to a six-year-old.

X-X-X-X

They both heard the key in the lock at the same moment. Alexis jumped up from Kate's lap and sprinted toward the door. Kate followed slowly behind and watched as Castle entered the hallway and scooped up his child. He was looking handsome as ever, if not a bit tired. His broad shoulders were covered with a thick beige coat and a pair of blue jeans was clinging to his toned calves. Around his neck he had slung a navy blue scarf. His dark brown hair was combed neatly over his head and she wondered how much hair product was used to keep it in place.

"Hey Alexis you won't believe how much I missed you." He spoke to the redhead as he spun her around and refused to unclasp his arms from around her shoulders.

"I missed you even more daddy but Kate was so much fun."

Rick placed his daughter on the ground and turned toward Kate. "She wasn't too much trouble was she?"

A smile filled spread across the cop's face. "No never, she is the sweetest little girl I have ever met."

"She does have that effect on people."

Kate knew the type of feelings that were coming her way, they were the feelings of love and lust and wonder. She was helplessly in love with this man but she couldn't bring herself to say that. She knew that it was never going to happen, that it never was to be possible.

"Kate, Kate, earth to Katherine." Kate realised that she must have zoned out as she heard Castle click his fingers before her. She let her thoughts go and turned toward the man.

"Yeah what's wrong?"

"I was asking if you wanted to stay for dinner tonight." He looked tired as he repeated himself yet again.

She knew that he was being nice but she decided against it. She wanted to get home and study for the exam. She also couldn't bear to be there and to continue feeling these things toward him. He was seven years her senior and way out of her league. "Nah it's okay, I'm eager to get home and get some rest." She hoped that she sounded convincing enough.

He nodded, "Yeah I get what you mean, your place must smell really musty by now."

Happy for the excuse Beckett nodded quickly, "Yeah that sounds about right, I'd like to get some windows open and all."

Castle smiled, "Okay then should I see you out. You must come around though for lunch or dinner just to thank you for all of your help."

She nodded her head; she wanted dinner with him. "Sounds good." She didn't mention her crush on him, why would she? She didn't need to make a fool of herself.

X-X-X-X

"Bye!" Rick and his young daughter Alexis waved as Kate hurried down the hallway and back toward the lift. He turned to look down at the child and found that she was already looking up at him.

"So Alexis how was your week with Kate?" Just saying her name forced a smile onto his lips. As he had greeted her he had felt awkward, as though he was stumbling over his words. He was falling heavily for her, for the way that she walked with a slight flick of her rear, for the strong New York accent that she emitted from her mouth and the way that her cheeks dimpled when she smiled. He was falling for someone way out of his league, someone that would never give a relationship with him a shot.

"Great daddy," He fell back down to reality once the child began speaking, "We had such a brilliant time."

"That sounds wonderful Pumpkin." As he sat himself down on the sofa beside Alexis he imagined that Kate was there beside him. Her soft cheek leaning against his shoulder, their hands clasping onto one another as they listened to the child speak.

X-X-X-X

She read over it again and again. _Random gang violence. Random gang violence. Random gang violence. _She threw the papers to the ground and trod on the file in the same manner of a very immature child. She hated it; she knew how much it hurt day in and day out to live with this lack of closure. This lack of justification. Kate let a few tears roll down her cheeks as she picked up the documents and laid them against the table top of the coffee table.

_He doesn't want you, with your tears, scars and clear emotional issues._

She knew that this was the reason why she had to keep away from Castle; she couldn't burden him down with all her dead weight. She knew that she was a waste of space in society; no one even cared if she woke up that next morning. Maybe that wasn't true, she could see Alexis, Celeste and maybe even Castle caring quite a bit but still…

She rose from the sofa and drained the last bit of scotch from her glass. It was her third glass and her head was beginning to pound ever so slightly. She scooped up her book – A Rose For Everafter – and began toward the door. She left her apartment in a flurry of steps. She needed fresh air to calm her aching head.

She began down the street clutching her tattered novel to her chest. She didn't realise that she was still crying until she made it to the park and watched as people sent her strange glances. She finally reached her destination – the swings – and dried her cheek with the back of her hand. She reached out and opened the book, reading over for the millionth time what he had wrote to her all those years ago.

_You're special._

He called her special. He told her that she was worth something. She wondered for that moment if he still found her special and she remembered back to the night when she had told him her story. He had claimed to be with her always. Always as in forever, as in for as long as humanly possible.

She watched as a few stray tears made their way down her cheek and slowly smudged the page of her book. She snapped the cover closed in a hurry because she suddenly knew what to do. This time it didn't involve hurting herself, or anyone else though.

She rose from the swing and saw that the darkness was drawing closer. She knew that she didn't have long and if she didn't go now she was sure to change her mind.

X-X-X-X

She passed the doorman and didn't even make eye contact with him this time. She boarded the lift silently and only then did she catch a glimpse of herself in the mirrored panels. Her hair was a tangled mess and running mascara surrounded her eyes. She looked crazy and unstable but she didn't care because she felt it right that her inward state was finally reflected on the outside.

The lift pinged and she hurried off. The hallway felt smaller then usual but she shook off the feeling and continued on her way. She reached the door and knocked. Her fist moved in quick successions giving off a few distinct knocks. The door opened and soon they were standing face to face. She wanted to run but her legs stayed firmly on the ground.

He stared at her, "Kate what do you want?"

She paused and between the tears that had begun rolling down her cheeks she spoke, "I want you Castle, all I want is you."

* * *

_AN: So Kate admitted her feelings and Castle seemed to be feeling the same way..._

**_UP NEXT: Castle and Beckett talk about their feelings..._**

_Hope you enjoyed and please review, I love reviews!_


	17. Chapter 17

_AN: I don't own Castle and if I did there would be more seasons._

_DAMN! This took me forever to update. I'm so sorry about the crazy wait, life got in the way and I changed schools, made friends and started new shows and I forgot about this little story. I hope my followers will enjoy my update and welcome to all my new readers! I hope to finish this story soon and I'm praying for more reasonable updates. _

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**CHAPTER 17**

She pressed her lips against his with an undeniable passion. She knew that what she was doing was very wrong but she couldn't help it. She waited for him to push her away but he didn't, he did quite the opposite. He pulled her into his embrace and she felt his hands on her cheeks. She moved her hands to his chest and pulled her mouth away from his.

"Rick I'm sorry," She was crying even harder now. Tears streamed down her cheeks and splattered against her shoulders.

A look of concern crossed his face as he adjusted his hand on her shoulder, "Why are you sorry?"

"Because of what I just did, I just threw myself at you, kissed you with every bit of passion that I could muster up and I didn't even think. Why would you want me, I'm nothing compared to the type of women that you usually bring here."

He shushed her with a kiss, pressed his lips to hers and stroked her hair. "You're beautiful and anything that you might be crying about now can most likely be fixed."

"So you want this?" Her eyes were wide.

"More then anything. Katherine you are the most wonderful person, you love my child, my books and it is easy to see perfection in your imperfections."

That was all the justification she needed. Their lips soon met up again and she felt one of his hands slip under the hem of her t-shirt. It travelled carefully over the surface of her back and with each movement of the separate fingertips she felt electricity rushing throughout her in the form of adrenaline.

Her hands mirrored his and she felt his pectoral muscle that was hidden beneath his shirt. She let out a moan as his lips slowly brushed against her high shoulder bone.

A spark, with more strength then a lightening bolt, shot up her spine as her lips clung onto his as though she was drowning and trying to hang onto her last bit of him. Rick seemed shocked at the way the way his lips fit against hers. It was something else. Something that he knew they both needed.

They moved so silently toward the bedroom that neither of them seemed to realise how they got there. He was wonderful. She collapsed against his neatly made bed and felt him go down with her. His lips barely moved from hers the whole time. They both remained silent as she felt his hands moving carefully and delicately along to his shoulder. He moved the black bra strap down just enough so that he could kiss the bare flesh of her shoulder.

"You sure you want this?" his muffled reply came quietly from beside her. She nodded remaining utterly silent. She knew that there was no going back now.

His shirt, then hers, followed closely by two pairs of jeans fell to the floor littering the ground. Kate was surprised at the energy that was drawing them together. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She knew that it was love and that she was in love with him. He obviously felt the same way; his delicate touch and muffled whispers about her perfection were just simple reminders.

Kate's lips travelled over his torso leaving a trail of hot kisses as she went and her fingers clawed at his back leaving marks in his perfect untarnished flesh.

She felt his hand cup her bare breast and she watched as his lips yet again brushed against hers before travelling over her body.

"You're so beautiful," she almost couldn't believe the cliqued speech that was coming out of her mouth.

"If I'm beautiful then you're perfect."

They were the last words they shared before they fell into the world of lovemaking, which was the place where they would share secret smiles and close their eyes in contentment. The room was silent besides the gentle moans and rush of bed sheets against bodies. They didn't stop, their energy didn't decline and for that moment there was nothing else in the world beside each other. There was no redhead sleeping silently in the other room, no case file littering Kate's desk, not a single worry or care for the both of them.

After another session they both collapsed against the mattress. The sheet was left on the ground but neither of them was willing to move and pick it up. Her head was nestled in his chest and her hair was sprawled along the soft, white pillows. She felt him pressing his lips to her mass of brown curls as his hand slowly caressed her cheek. He let his arms slip around her form and pull it as close as possible. He felt her warmth and smiled, he suddenly knew how very in love he was. He was in love with her mass of Ombre curls, her perfect curves, the mole on her right cheek, and even the bizarre butterfly tattoo on her upper thigh. He made a mental note to ask her about that later.

Eventually they had both fallen asleep. Their two bodies still remained a touch sticky with sweat but that hadn't deterred the close embrace that they had decided to stay in. Neither of them had any idea of what tomorrow would hold but they didn't even bring that to mind. They just lay naked, in each other's arms, knowing that there was nowhere else they wanted – or even desired to be. They had found happiness and neither of them ever wanted to let that go.

X-X-X-X

She looked like an angel, a sleeping angel, Richard Castle decided. He had woken with a start and a warm and fuzzy memory of the night before. He had to check if it was a dream and much to his relief it wasn't. She was real; Katherine Beckett was sleeping silently beside him, atop his mattress, in his bed. He let the sight of her sink in yet again in fear of forgetting it. She was laying there her eyes closed. A small smile was spread across her sleeping lips and he wondered whether that was a result of last night or a dream that she had just had. In her sleep she looked innocent, not like the haunted girl he had come to know and love. Richard leaned over and pressed his lips to her temple, softly enough not to wake her though.

He definitely didn't realise it last night but the cold Manhattan winter was evident in the room. After shaking off a chill he reached down and scooped up his sheet that had been crumpled in their previous efforts. He draped it over Beckett and the bed before he nestled down into it. His arms pulled her in yet again. Her body fit against his as though they were both made for each other. He continued to watch her sleep. He liked the way her shoulders would raise and fall evenly with every breath and the sight of her eyebrows when they furrowed.

"Daddy!" He looked up immediately alarmed the sight of his six year old standing in the doorway and staring confused toward the bed. He realised that during last night's festivities he must have forgotten to close the door, which was beyond embarrassing on his behalf.

"Hey Lex, what's up?" _Keep it cool Richard; pretend you're not lying in bed with a naked Kate Beckett_. He immediately thanked Mother Nature for the cold weather.

"Daddy I came to ask if you wanted to make smiley pancakes with me but I'm confused. I thought Kate went home last night, why are you having a sleepover with her? Why can't she have a sleepover with me instead?"

All the ranting and raving had woken Kate from her slumber. The cop stared up toward Castle and smiled before she noticed Alexis. She had heard the child's remark and saw Castle struggling for an answer. Kate sat up on the bed and kept the sheet strategically positioned around her shoulders.

"Hey Lex."

The redhead smiled wider now, "Hi Kate. Why did daddy get a sleepover with you and I didn't?"

Beckett nodded slowly as she came up with the perfect story. "Well you know how a long time ago you had that nightmare when I was babysitting you. Well your daddy had a nightmare too last night and he called me on my phone to come and help him fight the monster."

"But daddy isn't scared of monsters…"

"It was a really big one Lex and your daddy needed police help."

Kate watched as the child processed the bundle of lies that had just been thrown her way. Eventually her face filled with a smile, "Okay then Kate. Thanks for helping daddy." Alexis smiled yet again and hurried out the room. The pair of adults both heard her mutter something about Monkey Bunkey.

Richard rolled over in the bed so that he was facing Kate. "You know what?"

Katherine's eyebrows rose, "What?"

"You're a genius."

Kate nodded, "Well thank you Mr Castle. I wasn't the person who forgot to lock the door in the first place."

He blushed, "Accidents happen."

X-X-X-X

"So what was that last night Castle?" After listening for long enough to be sure that Alexis was downstairs Kate finally let her question go.

"Well do you want the actual explanation because I'm sure you went through sex ed…"

The pillow that she had been sleeping on hit him square in the forehead. "No smart ass, I don't actually. I want to know whether that was just a way to vent our frustrations or if there is more to it then that."

"Oh so you mean whether that was just a one night stand? Well I hope it wasn't because you are the most beautiful, kind woman I have ever met and neither myself or my daughter mind if you hang around."

She felt relieved and nodded, "That was the answer I was hoping for. I want to be with you Castle but I can't promise you anything. I'm not the type of person that you are used to and I can't assure you that I will not always be your ideal woman. I want you to know that I do see a psychologist and that I might be mildly depressed at times."

He nodded. He could tell that at times she was broken and hurting but that was definitely not a deterrent. "I now that Kate but sometimes I think that we all need someone who will hold us so tightly that all our broken pieces will be put back together. I promise that I will support you through anything and that I'll be that person…as long as you continue to occasionally babysit because you make my daughter so darn happy."

She burst into tears. Was it something that he had said? "Hey I'm only joking." He soothed as he ran his fingers over her back.

She shook her head, "I know that Castle, it's just that I love you." He felt her head nestled into his chest.

"I love you too Katherine Houghton Beckett, I will love you always."

X-X-X-X

The pair dressed in a hurry. As Kate pulled up her jeans from last night and adjusted her sweater over her torso she felt like a different person. She felt carefree, in love, and suddenly it seemed that all of the songs made sense. Beside her she watched as Richard Castle flashed her smiles. His joyful outlook on life made him a pleasure to be around. She suddenly wondered whether this 'arrangement' between the two of them would last for a while. She had never wanted a family after the death of her mother but her mindset was shifting. She treated Alexis almost like her daughter and she felt that she wouldn't mind treating Richard almost like her husband.

"Hey you look wonderful." Richard snapped her from her thoughts.

"Why do you say that?" She examined her reflection in the mirror. Her sweater and jeans clung closely to her tall, thin form and her hair still looked dishevelled despite the efforts with Castle's brush. She hadn't applied a touch of make-up, because she didn't have any here and she realised that she had also left her phone back at her apartment.

"Because of that," Rick pointed to the smile that had spread across her face. "I have never seen you this happy before. You're glowing."

She suddenly noticed it for herself too. She was glowing.

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AN: Thanks for reading and reviews mean everything!


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